Antheunis Janse pages
Antheunis Janse (1890-1960) was born in Oostkapelle, he was the son of a farmer Jan Janse and Catharina Wondergem. In 1910 he became a teacher at Schoondijke, in 1917 he taught at Biggekerke and in 1918 became head of the Christian school.
In the next two decades or so he produced numerous booklets and books. Janse had asked Vollenhoven for a copy of his doctoral thesis and the conversation began from there. They published one paper together: 'De activiteit der ziel in het rekenonderwijs' (1918).
Janse was of the instigators, with Dooyewerd and Vollenhven behind the Association for Calvinistic Philosophy (1935). B. J. van der Walt notes that we should see Janse, Dooyeweerd and vollenhoven and the three joint founders of reformational thought.
His anthropology led him in conflict with the implicit scholasticism of many in the Gereformeerde churches. Janse stressed the unity of a human being which was not appreciated by the dualistic approach supported by V. Hepp, H. H. Kuyper and J. Riderbos.
During the war his house was confiscated by the Nazis in 1942 and he had to move with his family to Breda. He suffered from Parkinson's disease from 1939 onwards. He was arrested in Breda, after its liberation by the Polish, after being accused of sympathising with the Germans during the war.
He died in 1960, his last words to Telder were: 'May the Lord strengthen you in your work'.
He had a great influence upon Vollenhoven, K. J. Popma, B. Telder and C. Vonk.
A list of his publications - as yet nothing has been translated into English - has been comiled by D Smits (2003) Inventaris van het archief van A. Janse (1890-1960)
On Janse
B J van der Walt 2004. Antheunis Janse of Biggekerke (1890-1960). Morning star of a 20th-century reformation : research article Koers69 (2)221-257
Vollenhoven's obituary of Janse (in Dutch)
Antheunis Janse (1890-1960) was born in Oostkapelle, he was the son of a farmer Jan Janse and Catharina Wondergem. In 1910 he became a teacher at Schoondijke, in 1917 he taught at Biggekerke and in 1918 became head of the Christian school. In the next two decades or so he produced numerous booklets and books. Janse had asked Vollenhoven for a copy of his doctoral thesis and the conversation began from there. They published one paper together: 'De activiteit der ziel in het rekenonderwijs' (1918).
Janse was of the instigators, with Dooyewerd and Vollenhven behind the Association for Calvinistic Philosophy (1935). B. J. van der Walt notes that we should see Janse, Dooyeweerd and vollenhoven and the three joint founders of reformational thought.
His anthropology led him in conflict with the implicit scholasticism of many in the Gereformeerde churches. Janse stressed the unity of a human being which was not appreciated by the dualistic approach supported by V. Hepp, H. H. Kuyper and J. Riderbos.
During the war his house was confiscated by the Nazis in 1942 and he had to move with his family to Breda. He suffered from Parkinson's disease from 1939 onwards. He was arrested in Breda, after its liberation by the Polish, after being accused of sympathising with the Germans during the war.
He died in 1960, his last words to Telder were: 'May the Lord strengthen you in your work'.
He had a great influence upon Vollenhoven, K. J. Popma, B. Telder and C. Vonk.
A list of his publications - as yet nothing has been translated into English - has been comiled by D Smits (2003) Inventaris van het archief van A. Janse (1890-1960)
On Janse
B J van der Walt 2004. Antheunis Janse of Biggekerke (1890-1960). Morning star of a 20th-century reformation : research article Koers69 (2)221-257
abstract This first biography is the result of research on the life and work of the Dutch thinker, Antheunis Janse (1890-1960) of Biggekerke conducted at intervals in South Africa and in the Netherlands during the past 35 years. The stimulus for the research was the fact that Janse has never been acknowledged for his contribution to Christian philosophy - especially anthropology - which originated in the thirties of the previous century in the Netherlands. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that he should be regarded (with Professors D.H. Th. Vollenhoven and H. Dooyeweerd) as a founding father of Christian- Reformational philosophy, also known as the philosophy of the Cosmonomic Idea or simply as the Amsterdam philosophy. No biography on this important thinker exists; the historical information provided is thus needed. The biographical details are intertwined with the following systematic aspects: Why reformation was required during Janse's lifetime; Janse's contribution to the development of Reformational philosophy; a more detailed discussion of his anthropological viewpoints; the secret of his reformational endeavours; and in conclusion, some suggestions are given about much needed research to be done to be able to fully profit from the rich heritage of this "morning star of a 20th-century reformation"
Vollenhoven's obituary of Janse (in Dutch)
