Craig E. Harline

By 1650, religious wars were ending in Europe and confessional boundaries were fairly stable, but more subtle difficulties on the religious scene remained unsolved--including the problem of confessionally mixed families. This project addresses this little-studied problem by starting with the dramatic account of a single Dutch family and working outward. This well-documented contest between Protestant father and Catholic son provides 1) a rare in-depth look at the specific challenges of conversion for families, 2) opportunity to explore the spectrum of possiblities open to any mixed family of the time, and 3) perspective for present-day challenges in cultural and religious mixing.