Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796)
Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was ruled by three Euro-Christian colonisers for over 450 years. Alongside their pursuit of trade and wealth, these colonial powers—the Portuguese (1505–1658), Dutch (1658–1796), and British (1796–1948)—sought to establish their distinct forms of Christianity: Cathol...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Sagara Jayasinghe |
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| description | Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was ruled by three Euro-Christian colonisers for over 450 years. Alongside their pursuit of trade and wealth, these colonial powers—the Portuguese (1505–1658), Dutch (1658–1796), and British (1796–1948)—sought to establish their distinct forms of Christianity: Catholicism by the Portuguese, Reformation by the Dutch, and Anglicanism and other Protestant denominations by the British. The missionary strategies and religious policies of these European colonisers varied significantly. Unlike Catholicism, which closely aligned with the external rituals of local religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, the Dutch Reformed religion emphasised Christian doctrine and biblical scripture, distinguishing itself in its liturgy, art, and architecture. This paper examines the origins and development of Dutch Reformed urban church architecture in Sri Lanka through archival, cartographical, and morphological research, complemented by an architectural survey of the surviving Dutch Reformed churches. The study reveals that the Dutch initially repurposed several Portuguese churches for Reformed worship, and later, they introduced the “Meeting House” typology, aligning with Reformed ecclesiastical and liturgical principles. Over time, this evolved into larger “Greek Cross Plan” churches, a trend that continued until the rise of Anglicanism. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae61dd8560b844c095a1f4ab81f168ca |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-ae61dd8560b844c095a1f4ab81f168ca2025-08-20T03:13:45ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-04-0116452910.3390/rel16040529Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796)Sagara Jayasinghe0Department of Integrated Design, Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa 10400, Sri LankaSri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was ruled by three Euro-Christian colonisers for over 450 years. Alongside their pursuit of trade and wealth, these colonial powers—the Portuguese (1505–1658), Dutch (1658–1796), and British (1796–1948)—sought to establish their distinct forms of Christianity: Catholicism by the Portuguese, Reformation by the Dutch, and Anglicanism and other Protestant denominations by the British. The missionary strategies and religious policies of these European colonisers varied significantly. Unlike Catholicism, which closely aligned with the external rituals of local religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, the Dutch Reformed religion emphasised Christian doctrine and biblical scripture, distinguishing itself in its liturgy, art, and architecture. This paper examines the origins and development of Dutch Reformed urban church architecture in Sri Lanka through archival, cartographical, and morphological research, complemented by an architectural survey of the surviving Dutch Reformed churches. The study reveals that the Dutch initially repurposed several Portuguese churches for Reformed worship, and later, they introduced the “Meeting House” typology, aligning with Reformed ecclesiastical and liturgical principles. Over time, this evolved into larger “Greek Cross Plan” churches, a trend that continued until the rise of Anglicanism.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/4/529Dutch Reformed churchcolonial ecclesiastical architecturearchitectural adaptationMeeting House churchesGreek Cross Plan churches |
| spellingShingle | Sagara Jayasinghe Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) Religions Dutch Reformed church colonial ecclesiastical architecture architectural adaptation Meeting House churches Greek Cross Plan churches |
| title | Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) |
| title_full | Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) |
| title_fullStr | Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) |
| title_short | Ecclesiastical Adaptation and Reformation: The Evolution of Dutch Reformed Urban Church Architecture in Sri Lanka (1658–1796) |
| title_sort | ecclesiastical adaptation and reformation the evolution of dutch reformed urban church architecture in sri lanka 1658 1796 |
| topic | Dutch Reformed church colonial ecclesiastical architecture architectural adaptation Meeting House churches Greek Cross Plan churches |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/4/529 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sagarajayasinghe ecclesiasticaladaptationandreformationtheevolutionofdutchreformedurbanchurcharchitectureinsrilanka16581796 |