Envisioning Hope College: Letters Written by Albertus C. Van Raalte to Phillip Phelps, Jr. 1857 to 1875 (The Historical Series of the Reformed Church ... ooperation with the Van Raalte Institute, 71) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802866883 ISBN 13: 9780802866882

Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co, 2011

Synopsis

These letters between the colony's leader and the first president of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, are sequentially placed in historical context and richly footnoted. They offer an intimate view of Van Raalte as he seeks funding for his college from the Dutch Reformed Church in the east, as well as insights into his pioneer community in the midst of conflagration and war.

About this title

Review

Robert P. Swierenga
-- A. C. Van Raalte Research Professor and Adjunct Professor of History
The correspondence "opens a window on the ethnic island that was Holland in the 1860s and 1870s, the impact of the Civil War, congregational life, social and economic challenges, and the devastating 1871 fire that destroyed two-thirds of the town."
George Harinck
-- Directeur Historisch Documentatiecentrum, VU University Amsterdam
"These letters are about life and blood, hardship and perseverance, but also about inspiration and love. Amazing how this man in such poor health and engaging so much opposition, stuck to his ideal of Christian higher education for Holland. He belongs to the rare historical figures who not only envisioned a better future, but also realized it with their own hands."
Hans Krabbendam
-- Roosevelt Study Center, Middelburg, the Netherlands
"These ninety-four letters document a unique and deep friendship between a recent Dutch immigrant in Michigan and a member of the Eastern establishment. . . . This accessible manuscript shows how a well educated European immigrant quickly learned the American way of fundraising and kept up morale in this stressful pioneer phase. These letters, moreover, enter the inner feelings of a vulnerable immigrant leader whose lamentation----'What a mingling of sweet bitter is life'----bears witness to the burden of his grand visions on his life."
"Perspectives"
There is much to learn from this fine collection. The letters themselves provide a lens into Van Raalte and his times, but the remarkable footnotes that assist our understanding of each letter, along with the summary paragraphs that provide contextual framework, turn this volume into a must-read for those who seek to learn about the city of Holland, Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, The Reformed Church in America, nineteenth-century Dutch immigration, and Van Raalte s life.
"Standard Bearer"
A fascinating collection. . . . The book is replete with pictures and sketches of prominent people and places. . . . A valuable addition to Dutch Reformed, West Michigan, and middle American history. "

Robert P. Swierenga
-- A. C. Van Raalte Research Professor and Adjunct Professor of History
The correspondence -opens a window on the ethnic island that was Holland in the 1860s and 1870s, the impact of the Civil War, congregational life, social and economic challenges, and the devastating 1871 fire that destroyed two-thirds of the town.-
George Harinck
-- Directeur Historisch Documentatiecentrum, VU University Amsterdam
-These letters are about life and blood, hardship and perseverance, but also about inspiration and love. Amazing how this man in such poor health and engaging so much opposition, stuck to his ideal of Christian higher education for Holland. He belongs to the rare historical figures who not only envisioned a better future, but also realized it with their own hands.-
Hans Krabbendam
-- Roosevelt Study Center, Middelburg, the Netherlands
-These ninety-four letters document a unique and deep friendship between a recent Dutch immigrant in Michigan and a member of the Eastern establishment. . . . This accessible manuscript shows how a well educated European immigrant quickly learned the American way of fundraising and kept up morale in this stressful pioneer phase. These letters, moreover, enter the inner feelings of a vulnerable immigrant leader whose lamentation----'What a mingling of sweet bitter is life'----bears witness to the burden of his grand visions on his life.-

Perspectives
-There is much to learn from this fine collection. The letters themselves provide a lens into Van Raalte and his times, but the remarkable footnotes that assist our understanding of each letter, along with the summary paragraphs that provide contextual framework, turn this volume into a must-read for those who seek to learn about the city of Holland, Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, The Reformed Church in America, nineteenth-century Dutch immigration, and Van Raalte's life.-

Standard Bearer
-A fascinating collection. . . . The book is replete with pictures and sketches of prominent people and places. . . . A valuable addition to Dutch Reformed, West Michigan, and middle American history.-

About the Author

Elton J. Bruins is the Founding Director and Philip Phelps Jr. Research Professor, Emeritus, at the A. C. Van Raalte Institute (1994-2002), the Blekkink Professor Emeritus of Religion (1966-92), and was Dean for Arts and Humanities (1984-89) at Hope Colle

Edition details

• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802866883
• ISBN 13: 9780802866882
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 520
• Editor: Bruins Elton J., Schakel Karen G.