Een Bijbels personage als middelpunt van een bestseller voor de jeugd
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: A biblical person at the center of a bestseller for young people In 1795 the Dutch Society for Public Welfare (Maatschappij tot Nut van ‘t Algemeen) posthumously awarded a gold medal to a treatise on the Old Testament figure of Joseph, son of Jacob, submitted to the Society by the enlightened Mennonite theologian Willem van Oosterwijk Hulshoff (1771-1795), who had died as a young man. In 1796, the treatise was published as The History of Joseph, for Children. The booklet became a great success with the public and experienced many printings, the 21st being in 1870. This article explains the form and content of The History of Joseph with attention to its commercial success. It is argued that a ‘neutral’ theological profile contributed to its distribution to readers from many denominational backgrounds. Consequently, the work was deemed suitable for use in public elementary schools.
Author: Cees Houtman
Language: Dutch
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4381742012