Huub Oosterhuis
| Huub Oosterhuis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
1 November 1933 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Occupation | theologian and poet |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Period | 1961-present |
| Genre | Liturgy, religious poetry |
| Subject | Bible, socialism |
| Notable works | Liedboek voor de Kerken (psalms) (1973) |
Hubertus Gerardus Josephus Henricus Oosterhuis (born 1 November 1933 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch theologian and poet. He is mainly known for his contribution to Christian music and liturgy in the Dutch language, used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, although a few songs have been censored in some dioceses. He is the author of over 60 books and at the time of over 700 hymns, songs, Psalms (often in an own interpretation), and prayers.
Oosterhuis was a Jesuit and is a Roman Catholic priest.
In 1954, inspired by Che Guevara who said that churches have the potential to transform the social structure of society, Oosterhuis combined his priesthood with political activism.
In 1965, Oosterhuis became one of the major supporters of ecumenism, following the modernist interpretation of the Second Vatican Council. He started out to rewrite the liturgy and make it acceptable to all. Some of his changes were considered controversial within the Roman Catholic Church especially writing the prayer for agnostics: "Heer, als U bestaat, kom dan onder ons" ("Lord, if You exist, come amongst us").
His political views, conflicts regarding the liturgy and unorthodox views regarding priestly celibacy led to Oosterhuis being dismissed from the Jesuit order in 1969. He left the Catholic Church and functioned as an Independent Catholic priest, in charge of a church in Amsterdam, for about forty years. He is still focussed on writing liturgy, poetry and essays.
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