Goden en mensen. De godsdienstwetenschap van Gerardus van der Leeuw 1890-1950

This study examines Van der Leeuw's science of religion as it developed in the years between the two world wars. In the first chapter I give a theoretical justification for the questions I raise and provide a short historical introduction to the development of the history of religion in the Netherlands. The second chapter is a chronological account of the life and times of Van der Leeuw and his main publications. Chapter Three deals with the most important writings of Van der Leeuw on the history and phenomenology of religion and the problem of primitive mentality. The last chapier is a brief epilogue, in which I try to evaluate his work in terms of its meaning for the study of religion today. The study is based on personal and official archives, interviews and secondary sources. ... Zie: Summary