Aengenent en de ‘Roomsche sociologie’

Johannes Aengenent was sociology-professor at Warmond seminary until 1928 and bishop of Haarlem until 1935. This paper investigates the characteristics of his sociology. In the first section, Aengenent is placed in the historiography of early sociology. It appears that he belongs to the ethical or normative sociology, that in this early phase was an integral part of sociological science but gradually disappeared from what became the sociological discipline. The second section discerns the main themes of his sociology with the help of the ‘sociological reviews’ that he published regularly. This section confirms his interest for the socio-economic problems that came with the modernization of Dutch society at the turn of the century. The last section describes what he saw as the ‘catholic’ aspects of his sociology. In the conclusion, the relevance of normative sociology for present-day sociology is discussed.