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Albert Christian Kruyt

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Albert Christian Kruyt
Albertus Christiaan Kruyt
Kruyt in his final years
Born
Albertus Christiaan Kruijt

(1869-10-10)10 October 1869
Died19 January 1949(1949-01-19) (aged 79)
The Hague, Netherlands
Occupations
  • Missionary
  • ethnographer
  • theologian
  • author
Notable workDe Bare'e-sprekende Toradja's van Midden-Celebes [id]
SchoolReformed, Calvinist

Albert Christian Kruyt (Dutch: Albertus Christiaan Kruyt; 10 October 1869 – 19 January 1949) was a Dutch Calvinist missionary, ethnographer and theologian who pioneered Christianity in Poso, Indonesia.[1]

Born in Mojowarno, East Java, in 1869, Kruyt grew up in a missionary family[2] and went to the Netherlands for education in 1877. Returning to the Indies in 1890, he was stationed in Gorontalo. The Netherlands Missionary Society (NZG) sent him to establish a new mission in Poso in 1892.[3][4] Despite early setbacks, the first baptism occurred in 1909, and the number of converts grew steadily.[5] His mission expanded through the highlands to the Gulf of Bone by the 1920s.[6] Elected a corresponding member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1898, Kruyt resigned in 1932 but became a regular member in 1933.[7] Kruyt left the Dutch East Indies in 1932 and died in The Hague in 1949.

Kruyt is known for his ethno-sociological approach, believing that understanding local cultures was essential for successful missionary work.[8] He argued that missionaries must understand the link between thought and community life to win hearts[9] and preferred voluntary conversions over coercion.[10] Kruyt is regarded as a leading theorist, missionary, and ethnographer of the early 20th century.[11] His mission in Poso and Central Sulawesi was a significant success.[6] His works on ethnography and evangelism are highly valued, especially the book he co-authored with Nicolaus Adriani, De Bare'e-sprekende Toradja's van Midden-Celebes (The Bare'e speaking Toraja of Central Sulawesi), which remains a key ethnological resource.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Enklaar 1978, p. 111; Schrauwers 2000, p. 5; Aragon 2000, p. 101.
  2. ^ Enklaar 1978, p. 111; Keane 2007, pp. 97–98.
  3. ^ Aragon 2000, p. 101; Coté 2010, p. 12.
  4. ^ Henley 2005, p. 47.
  5. ^ Aragon 2000, p. 104.
  6. ^ a b Schrauwers 2000, p. 9.
  7. ^ "A.C. Kruyt (1869 - 1949)". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  8. ^ Kruyt 1915, pp. 86–87.
  9. ^ Schoor-Lambregts 1992, p. 104.
  10. ^ Aragon 2000, p. 103.
  11. ^ Coté 2010, p. 14; Hefner 2001, p. 575.
  12. ^ Rassers 1949, p. 163.

Sources

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Bibliography

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Primary sources
Publications