Heaven’s Wrath explores the religious thought and religious rites of the early Dutch Atlantic world. D. L. Noorlander argues that the Reformed Church and the West India Company forged and maintained a close union, with considerable consequences across the seventeenth century.Noorlander questions the core assumptions about why the Dutch failed to establish a durable empire in America. He downplays the usual commercial explanations and places the focus instead on the tremendous expenses incurred in the Calvinist-backed war and the Reformed Church’s meticulous, worried management of colonial affairs. By pinpointing the issues that hampered the size and import of the Dutch Atlantic world, Noorlander revises core notions about the organization and aims of the Dutch empire, the culture of the West India Company, and the very shape of Dutch society.
Heaven’s Wrath: the Protestant Reformation and the Dutch West India Company in the Atlantic World
“Heaven’s Wrath sheds new light on the religious influence on the early Dutch Atlantic world, challenging traditional explanations for the Dutch empire’s struggles in America. Noorlander’s insightful analysis reveals the close relationship between the Reformed Church and the West India Company, offering a fresh perspective on the shaping of Dutch society and colonial affairs.”
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