The Preacher and the Farmers: The Church as a Political Arena in a Dutch Community1
This paper deals with a conflict between two groupings within the local church of a small Dutch dairy-farming community. The conflict is analyzed as a competition between two factions, each claiming a monopoly over the “truth.” It is argued that one cannot properly understand the conflict by considering only local-level processes, but must also consider their relation to nation-wide economic and theological developments.