The Preacher and the Farmers: The Church as a Political Arena in a Dutch Community 1

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.