De tweede gouden eeuw: pater Stein s.j. (1871-1951)

Abstract

The Second Golden Age: Father Stein S.J. (1871-1931) The Second Golden Age, the hey-day of Dutch science around 1900, was confessionally not neutral: it could be regarded as a manifestation of a liberal-protestant culture. My aim with this article is to make the participation, or rather lack of participation, of Catholics in the revival of the sciences in the Netherlands during 1870 to 1940 a subject of discussion. In general, Catholics contributed very little to Dutch science until late in the twentieth century. This can be explained by pointing to both external and internal factors. In this article I take a close look at the career of a Dutch Catholic scientist, J.W.J.A. Stein, to see how science practisioning by Dutch Catholics during the Second Golden Age developed. In the case of the Jesuit astronomer Stein, the dominancy of liberal-protestants in Dutch society and science and the cultural-scientific status quo of the Second Golden Age did not hinder his astronomical career, which was also his own opinion. His achievements in, and contributions to astronomy were valuable, but not innovating or prominent. This was partly due to his membership of the Jesuit Order, whose scientific traditions Stein represented in all aspects. He adhered to the separation of science and religion in his professional life and his successful integration into the Protestant Dutch scientific community can be understood as evidence of this conviction.