In this online lecture, Gaby Jacobs speaks about growing up in a Catholic working-class family in the south of the Netherlands. From an early age, the Catholic faith did not align with her strong values of equality and attentiveness to difference, which she found reflected in feminism. Around the age of twenty-five, humanism entered her life, and she gradually grew into it. She now conducts research into meaning-making, exploring the “in-between spaces” – both in her academic work and her personal life – that make it possible to acknowledge and learn from the differences within ourselves, in others, and in society.
Register for this lecture via the button at the top of this page. The registration fee for this individual lecture is €15.
Lecture Series: The Spiritual Process, Autobiographical
This lecture is part of a series with the theme “The Spiritual Process, Autobiographical.” In this series, various experts in spirituality speak about the spiritual process from both their professional knowledge and their personal experience. They explore aspects of the spiritual process – such as confusion, wonder, perseverance, trust, and fulfilment – that hold particular significance for them. In doing so, they bring the spiritual process into dialogue with science, their own lives, and the audience.
The other lectures in this series
Spirituality and Science (past event)
Thursday 30 October 2025, 19:00 - 20:30 - Anne-Marie Bos, Sister of the Carmelite Order
In this lecture, Anne-Marie Bos talked about how she, as a religious, entered the field of academia and how her spiritual journey and academic work are connected.
Spirituality of Faith and Life
Thursday 20 November, 19:00 - 20:30 uur - Gerard de Korte, bishop of the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch
As a priest, Gerard de Korte has devoted himself deeply to the study of Christian spirituality. For him, its key elements are faith, worship, and daily life. In his lecture, he will explore these themes in greater depth.
A Relationship that is Not Self-Evident
Thursday 29 January 2026, 19:00 - 20:30 - Willien van Wieringen, scholar of Dutch literature and theology
Willien van Wieringen grew up in a pillarized, Catholic environment. Over time, things began to shift, and (unpleasant) surprises crossed her path. In her lecture, she shares how she nevertheless maintained a relationship with God — one that was anything but self-evident.
Learning from Difference
Thursday 21 May 2026, 19:00 - 20:30 - Nikolaas Sintobin, Jesuit
Nikolaas Sintobin specialises in Ignatian spirituality. In his lecture, he explores in greater depth what Ignatian spirituality means to him.
