Hans Rookmaaker

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Rookmaaker with students, 1970

Henderik Roelof "Hans" Rookmaaker (February 27, 1922 – March 13, 1977) was a Dutch Christian scholar, professor, and author who wrote and lectured on art theory, art history, music, philosophy, and religion.

In 1948 he met Christian theologian Francis Schaeffer and became a member of L'Abri in Switzerland. Rookmaaker and his wife Anky opened a Dutch branch of L'Abri in 1971.

Following a doctorate in art history with a dissertation on Gauguin at the

Free University
in Amsterdam.

Rookmaaker addressed ambiguity about art among Christians and ambiguity about faith among artists. His main thesis was laid out in his 1970 publication entitled Modern Art and The Death of a Culture.

He lectured in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, as well as in his native Netherlands.

Two books by Rookmaaker were published posthumously: Art Needs No Justification in 1978 and The Creative Gift : Essays on Art and the Christian Life in 1981. In 2003 The Complete Works of Hans Rookmaaker, edited by his daughter Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, was published.

Childhood and youth

Born in

Delft University prior to the start of World War II
. There, prior to the war, Rookmaaker met and became engaged to Riki Spetter, who was Jewish.

Conversion to Christianity

As Rookmaaker was a naval officer, he was interned as a prisoner of war in

J.P.A. Mekkes who would have a lasting impact on his life. He returned home as a Christian, but was severely tested as his bride-to-be was nowhere to be found. His study of the Old Testament, dedicated to her during the camp years, never reached her. It has been established that Sophia Henriëtte Spetter was murdered in Auschwitz on September 30, 1942.[1] Rookmaaker changed his career and took up a doctoral study in art history. In 1948, through his fiancé and bride-to-be Anky Huitker, he met Francis Schaeffer. This was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with a very fruitful exchange of ideas. Rookmaaker had a dominant influence on Schaeffer's ideas on art and culture [2] and also introduced Schaeffer to Reformational philosophy
.

Rookmaaker's famous saying "Jesus didn't come to make us Christian. Jesus came to make us fully human" formed the central theme of Dick Staub's 2010 book About You.[3]

Career

Rookmaaker stood in the tradition of

Free University. His broad international perspective brought a large number of foreign students to the department at a time when this was still far from usual. Rookmaaker lived in Diemen and served as an elder in the liberated Reformed church there.[4]

From 1955 onwards he frequently visited his friend

Evangelicals to the arts [5]
proves Rookmaaker's prophetic stand. Rookmaaker died suddenly on a Sunday in March 1977.

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ieder mens heeft een naam". Auschwitz NL. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  2. ISBN 9781581348576
    . Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  3. ^ "Book Review: About You, by Dick Staub". Spirituality & Practice. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  4. Banner of Truth
    . Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. ^ Gorski, Eric (2007-07-26). "Evangelicals start push in the arts". Boston.com. Retrieved 2012-06-15.

External links

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