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Teylers Eerste Genootschap

Teylers Eerste Genootschap is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Teylers Eerste Genootschap rather than just read about it. In short: Teylers Eerste Genootschap (English: Teyler's First Society), also known as the Godgeleerd Genootschap (Theological Society) is one of the two societies founded within the Teylers Stichting as a result of the will of the Dutch 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. The First Society is focused on theology, while the Second Society is focused on art and science.

Teylers Eerste Genootschap — main illustration
Teylers Eerste Genootschap — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Teylers Eerste Genootschap belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Teylers Eerste Genootschap to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Teylers Eerste Genootschap from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Teylers Eerste Genootschap (English: Teyler's First Society), also known as the Godgeleerd Genootschap (Theological Society) is one of the two societies founded within the Teylers Stichting as a result of the will of the Dutch 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. The First Society is focused on theology, while the Second Society is focused on art and science.

History The society was founded in 1778, and the first five members were appointed through Teylers testament: two remonstrant preachers and three mennonite preachers. As stipulated, there had to be six members, and the sixth member was selected by the first five, and was the mennonite Frederik Scheltinga. The society had also a sister society, Teylers Tweede Genootschap - which focused on art and science but is organized in a similar way. The main activity of the society is to discuss theological issues, and annually announce contests with a relative high prize compared to similar contests by other societies (400 guilders for the 1778 edition). The prizes were awarded by the members of the society and the directors of the foundation jointly.

1805 competition: Jacob Haafner Because of the different religious backgrounds of the directors compared to the society members, conflicts over the outcome were not unheard of. This became especially visible in 1805, when Jacob Haafner submitted an essay on the question "What did the mission bring us so far, and what can be expected" which answered it in a negative sense - much more liberal than the directors would allow, while the jury members were deeply impressed. It took them two years to work out the differences, and the piece would only be published in 1807.

Essay competitions: procedure Especially in the early years, when the questions were less conservatively focused, the amount of replies was high because of the high prize associated with winning it. Until 1796 the answers had to be submitted in Latin, Dutch or French, after 1796 also English and German were allowed. The name of the submitting author was only available in a sealed envelope, which was linked to the piece and would only be opened in case the piece would win the contest. All other envelopes were burned unopened - and their replies archived anonymously. The winner receives a silver or gold medal or a sum of money and its submission was published in the Verhandelingen van Teylers Eerste Genootschap (Proceedings of Teylers First Society). The most recent contest is from 2011, asking for "research on the formation and/or change of the Dutch perception of Islam in the years 1990-2010" which will run through 2014. A contest typically runs for three years at a time - hence multiple contest can be active at any given moment. The society meets annually in the Kleine Herenkamer (Small Boardroom) in the Teylers Fundatiehuis (Teylers Foundation House) next to the Teylers Museum.

Current members Source: The members of the society are nowadays well known academics in the field of Christianity working at various universities throughout the Netherlands - (assistant) professors in different relevant fields such as "history of Christianity" and "the New Testament".

Alle Hoekema (assistant professor Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Maarten Menken (professor University of Tilburg) Ed Noort (honorary professor Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) Ernestine van der Wall (professor Leiden University) Herman Beck (professor University of Tilburg) Victor Kal (assistant professor University of Amsterdam)

See also Teylers Stichting Teylers Tweede Genootschap (English: Teylers Second Society) List of members of Teylers Eerste Genootschap

References and footnotes

External sources Museum website on Teylers First Society Museum website on the 18th century practice of essay competitions

Illustrations

Teylers Eerste Genootschap: Kleine Herenkamer (Smaller Boardroom) in Foundation House, where the society meets annually
Kleine Herenkamer (Smaller Boardroom) in Foundation House, where the society meets annually
Teylers Eerste Genootschap: Prize medal awarded in 1784 by Teylers First Society to William Laurence Brown. The design was made in 1778 by Johann Georg Holtzhey, who stamped the medals for all winners. After his death, the press was bought by the Stichting and Teylers still stamps the prize medals in the same way.
Prize medal awarded in 1784 by Teylers First Society to William Laurence Brown. The design was made in 1778 by Johann Georg Holtzhey, who stamped the medals for all winners. After his death, the press was bought by the Stichting and Teylers still stamps the prize medals in the same way.
Teylers Eerste Genootschap: Title page of Haafner's award-winning submission on Christian mission, in Verhandelingen van Teylers Godgeleerd Genootschap (Proceedings of Teylers Theological society) XXII, Haarlem, 1807.
Title page of Haafner's award-winning submission on Christian mission, in Verhandelingen van Teylers Godgeleerd Genootschap (Proceedings of Teylers Theological society) XXII, Haarlem, 1807.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Teylers Eerste Genootschap

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Teylers Eerste Genootschap claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Teylers Eerste Genootschap before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Teylers Eerste Genootschap ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Teylers Eerste Genootschap

In research
Teylers Eerste Genootschap appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Teylers Eerste Genootschap in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Teylers Eerste Genootschap is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Learned societies of the Netherlands, Teylers Museum, Teylers Stichting, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Teylers Eerste Genootschap outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Teylers Eerste Genootschap in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Teylers Eerste Genootschap means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Teylers Eerste Genootschap out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Teylers Eerste Genootschap in simple terms?

Teylers Eerste Genootschap (English: Teyler's First Society), also known as the Godgeleerd Genootschap (Theological Society) is one of the two societies founded within the Teylers Stichting as a result of the will of the Dutch 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. The First Society is…

Why does Teylers Eerste Genootschap matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Teylers Eerste Genootschap?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Teylers Eerste Genootschap.

Tags

  • Learned societies of the Netherlands
  • Teylers Museum
  • Teylers Stichting

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