Albert Christian Kruyt (; 10 October 1869 – 19 January 1949) was a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

who pioneered Christianity in

Poso Poso (Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Posso'') is the administrative capital of Poso Regency, Indonesia. It is the main port and transportation hub for the central-southern coast of Central Sulawesi. Its urban area consists of thre ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. Born in Mojowarno,

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...

, in 1869, Kruyt grew up in a missionary family and went to the Netherlands for education in 1877. Returning to the Indies in 1890, he was stationed in

Gorontalo Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 De ...

. The ''Nederlandsch Zendelinggenootschap'' (NZG,

Netherlands Missionary Society The Netherlands Missionary Society (Dutch: ''Nederlandsch Zendelinggenootschap'' - NZG) was a Dutch Protestant missionary society founded in 1797 in Rotterdam that was involved in sending workers to countries such as Indonesia during the Dutch occup ...

) sent him to establish a new mission in Poso in 1892. Despite early setbacks, the first baptism occurred in 1909, and the number of converts grew steadily. His mission expanded through the highlands to the Gulf of Bone by the 1920s. Elected a corresponding member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (, KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed in the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam. In addition to various advisory a ...

in 1898, Kruyt resigned in 1932 but became a regular member in 1933. Kruyt left the Dutch East Indies in 1932 and died in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

in 1949. Kruyt is known for his ethno-sociological approach, believing that understanding local cultures was essential for successful missionary work. He argued that missionaries must understand the link between thought and community life to win hearts and preferred voluntary conversions over coercion. Kruyt is regarded as a leading theorist, missionary, and ethnographer of the early 20th century. His mission in Poso and Central Sulawesi was a significant success. His works on ethnography and evangelism are highly valued, especially the book he co-authored with Nicolaus Adriani, ''De Bare'e-sprekende Toradja's van Midden-Celebes'' (The Bare'e speaking

Toraja The Torajan are an ethnic group indigenous people, indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency of T ...

of Central Sulawesi), which remains a key ethnological resource.

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Bibliography

;Primary sources * ;Publications * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kruyt, Albert Christian 1869 births 1949 deaths People from Jombang Regency Dutch Protestant missionaries Dutch Calvinist and Reformed theologians Indonesianists Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Protestant missionaries in Indonesia