The Influence of the Dutch

"The Dutch?" you might ask. Did they have an influence on any thing? Aren't the Dutch those people from that tiny country, who live in windmills, and grow tulips? What is that country even called? isn't it Holland?
Well let me start off by addressing your questions, yes the country of the Dutch is very small. It is actually smaller than Nebraska. Now as to the Dutch living in windmills, windmills were actually workplaces, not residences, and today they are more of a national symbol than anything else. It is also true that the Dutch are known for their tulips, but those too, serve in a large part as a national icon. Lastly Holland is merely a province in the Netherlands. To equate the Netherlands with Holland, would be as offensive to the Dutch as a foreigner equating the U.S. with California.
So today I would like to discuss three areas of world culture that the Dutch significantly influenced.
The exploration and settlement of countries,
Philosophy,
and some of their most influential individuals.

Now historically, in the realm of exploring, discovering, and settling countries the Netherlands had a major role. In the 16-17 hundreds it was a major sea power. During that period, it did a lot of colonization, most of the result of which can still be seen. For example, the first Europeans to settle South Africa were Dutch protestants. In addition, the most spoken, and one of the several offical languages there is Afrikaans, a mixture of Dutch and African. Also because of their sea power, the Dutch participated in the exploration and discovery several well known landmasses, New Zealand, which is named after a Dutch province, and Australia, which for over a hundred years was known as New Holland.
Perhaps most important of all, the Dutch had a hand to play in the settling of America.
Albany, New York was started as a Dutch settlement and New York City itself was formerly known as New Amsterdam, after the largest city in the Netherlands. In fact, New Netherlands in the Hudson River Valley, New York was first settled by the Dutch. To this day, many names in and around New York, are derived from Dutch. Who knows whether New York city would ever have become the World landmark and American icon, it is today had it not been for the Dutch.
My second point is perhaps a little more recent. Within the past century, several Christian Dutch Philosophers and their heirs have made huge impacts not only in philosophy and Christian apologetics, but in every area of life. The first of these philosophers was Abraham Kuyper, a man who taught that Christianity concerns more than a man's salvation, but his entire life. Whether it is work Business, Politics, Farming, or Engineering we should never forget that every action must and will be influenced by our worldview.
Cornelius Van Til, Kuyper's intellectual heir, was born and raised in Holland, Netherlands. He became the philosophical Father of Van Tillian Apologetics. Now I suspect most of you know what apologetics is, but I will briefly define it for those who don't. Christian Apologetics is the defense of the Christian faith. Van Til definitely didn't make up a whole new argument for Christianity, rather his apologetic method masterfully follows the commands of scripture, to argue for the truth of scripture and the existence of God.
The work of these men has led to great reformation in the realms of Christian Education, Worldview, and Philosophy.
Now you might feel that this speech is really hopping around, from nation building, to apologetics, to important individuals, but I felt it would be important while dealing with the influence of the Netherlands, to deal with one of their great artists, and one of their great missionaries. Both men who are very famous individuals. Rembrandt Van Rijn was a protestant artist in the sixteen hundreds. His works are some of the most acclaimed of that period. He especially excelled in his portraits of Biblical events. His biographer Visser't Hooft compliments him saying, "Rembrandt is the painter whose art seeks to express a faith exclusively rooted in the gospel."
While not related or a contemporary of Rembrandt, Andrew van der Bijl, also had a faith rooted in the gospel. Now while Mr. Van der Bijl is a famous Missionary you probably do not know who I am talking about. That's because in America he is known simply as Brother Andrew. Now you might remember him. During the time of the Iron curtain and the Soviet Union, Brother Andrew would deliver Bibles to believers in Communist held countries. Now with the collapse of the Iron Curtain, he mainly ministers in Muslim countries. 54 years ago he became the founder of Open Doors Mission,(not the poverty outreach.) a worldwide ministry to the persecuted church.

"Wow!" you might say. How did we start with the Netherlands, and go on to windmills, philosophy, art and missions?! Would you agree now that the Dutch have had a little more influence than you previously might have thought? Indeed this tiny tulip growing nation has influenced world nations, languages, philosophies, art, and missions. Even a little country has more to it than meets the eyes.