Bible Belt

The Bible belt, also called Bible Belt or refoband, is a designation for the geographical belt in the Netherlands that runs from the west of Overijssel to Zeeland. A total of about 300,000 reformed people live here, also referred to as the "black stocking churches".

The Bible belt runs roughly from the Zeeland islands and the South Holland Goeree-Overflakkee via the river area of the provinces of South Holland, North Brabant, Utrecht, and Gelderland, through the Gelderse Vallei and the Veluwe to Overijssel.

The current Bible belt only came into existence in the nineteenth century. In several phases, a reformed subculture was built up. The criticism from groups within the Dutch Reformed Church led to the emergence of their own denominations or - after the introduction of suffrage for all male professing members in 1867 - to congregations with a distinctive signature within the Reformed Church.

After the abolition of the district system, people also became politically active in the SGP. From about 1970 onwards, the formation of a reformed mini-column began: the refozuil. At the same time, Protestant dominance in the west and north of the Netherlands disappeared as a result of secularization and church abandonment. This made the existence of a Bible belt clearly visible.

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