(Pro)claiming Tradition: The ‘Judeo-Christian’ Roots of Dutch Society and the Rise of Conservative Nationalism

Abstract

From burgeoning EU scepticism in Great Britain, 1 to criticism of Islam and multiculturalism in Belgium, 2 Germany, 3 France, 4 and the Netherlands, the appeal to ‘Judeo-Christian’ roots of Western societies has been part of the rise of conservative nationalisms all over Europe. If the ‘postsec-ular’ at its very basis indeed signals a renewed place for religion in political debates, conservative nationalists have proven to be more effective postsecularists than their counterparts. By discussing uses of the phrase Judeo-Christian in Dutch political debates, this article aims to investigate the successful mixture between neoconservatism and the postsecular invocation of religious roots that, as I will argue, plays an important role in the current transformation of Dutch society. I will conclude by suggesting a number of vistas for research that can contribute to the debate surrounding the religious roots of Dutch identity.