Klaas Schilder

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Klaas Schilder (Kampen 19 December 1890 - 23 March 1952) was a theologian and professor in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch: Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland or GKN) and later in the Gereformeerde Kerken (Vrijgemaakt).

Schilder was born into a state church (NHK) family in Kampen, the Netherlands; the family joined the Gereformeerde Kerken when he was a child. After graduating from a reformed gymnasium (more or less a college prep middle and high school), he took his theological studies at the Theologische School of De Gereformeerde Kerken in Kampen and graduated cum laude in 1914. Schilder was a pastor at Ambt-Vollenhove, Vlaardingen, Gorinchem, Delft, Oegstgeest, and Rotterdam-Delfshaven. He arrived in Rotterdam in 1928, where he preached to full churches in spite of the fact that services were never shorter than two hours. During this period Schilder published his three-part work, Christus in Zijn lijden.

Schilder earned his doctorate from the Erlangen University in 1933, graduating summa cum laude. At this time he became Professor of Systematic Theology at the Kampen Seminary, a position he held until his death. Beginning in 1920, Schilder contributed to De Reformatie (The Reformation), a weekly Reformed journal. He became an editor for the publication in 1924 and its sole editor in 1935.

Schilder resisted the German invasion and opposed the Nazi conquest. He was arrested by the Germans in August 1940 and later released. Because he was so outspoken, Schilder spent most of the war in hiding.

On August 3, 1944, Schilder was suspended for being schismatic, and the Reformed community was incensed that one of its heroes has been so condemned. The result was a schism within the GKN and formation of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). The first yearbook of the Gereformeerde Kerken (Vrijgemaakt) reported 216 congregations, 152 ministers, and 77,000 members.

Schilder died of a massive heart attack on March 23, 1952 — exactly eight years after he had been suspended from the Gereformeerde Kerken.