Hans Rookmaaker
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. Throughout his career, he lectured in the
United Kingdom, the
United States, and
Canada, as well as in his native
Netherlands.
In
1948 he met
Christian theologian Francis Schaeffer and became a member of
L'Abri in
Switzerland. Hans and his wife Anky opened a Dutch branch of L'Abri in
1971.
In
1962, he wrote a book for fellow church members titled
Kunst en Amusement (
Art and Amusement). The book was an invitation for Christians to begin taking art seriously.
His main thesis was laid out in his
1970 publication entitled
Modern Art and The Death of Culture. 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.
* Hegeman, David Bruce (2004)
"The Importance of Hans Rookmaaker",
WRF Comment, November 2004 - V. 22 I. 9. Retrieved January 20, 2006.
* Gasque, L.:
Art and the Christian Mind, Crossway Books 2005. ISBN 1-581-34694-8. A
PDF excerpt is available at Crossway Books.
* Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, Marleen (ed.):
The Complete Works of Hans Rookmaaker, 6 volumes, Piquant 2001-2003. ISBN 1-903-68904-X; also available on CD-ROM.
* Rookmaaker, H. R.:
Modern Art and The Death of Culture, Crossway Books 1994. ISBN 0-891-07799-5.
* Hans Rookmaaker biography at the
Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections
