University chaplaincy in the Netherlands transformed itself in the last ten years. Chaplaincies used to be in the frontlines of ecumenical and liturgical experiments, presenting alternatives to the mainstream churches. They were mainly church-oriented.

External dialogue

In the course of a rapid process of secularization, student populations changed, and only a very small minority of the students has any relation to the churches today. Those who still have such a relation are, for the larger part, evangelicals. There is, however, a large number of Muslim students and an even larger number of students with, sometimes rather vague, religious affiliation. Apart from that, the developments in science pose difficult and intense ethical and anthropological problems.

Because of these developments, being in the frontline of the churches has obtained a new meaning, demanding new methods and alliances. Chaplaincies now focus on the whole of the student-society and the totality of the academic or higher education settings. This means intense dialogue with the Muslim students, participation in the ethical and philosophical debates, and -above all- an intriguing search for the spiritual and religious dimensions of student motivation and of scientific research. All this calls for the development of a new language to communicate the core business of Christianity in a secular context, which, at the same time, is searching for a spiritual and motivation basis and for new hopes.

Internal dialogue

This development has been endangered, the last year, by internal problems of the churches. Losing members and money, the churches in the Netherlands tend to formulate their core business in terms of gaining new members and funds. As this is not the central aim of university chaplaincy, the number of university chaplains has been reduced in the last few years and the tendency is downward. Trying to open up the churches for dialogue without gain, searching for the meaning of post-church Christianity and looking for new ways to fund university chaplaincy, have now become urgent tasks. Though most of us have to perform these tasks with diminishing teams and means, we consider it an exciting experiment.

The focus of this conference

As university chaplaincies are locally organized and local situations differ greatly, chaplaincies are in very different stages of these developments and trying to realize their intentions in very different ways. This makes university chaplaincy in the Netherlands a very fascinating landscape. In the meantime, we are also looking for new ways, to set up nationwide activities.

In this Conference, we will try to get you acquainted with this searching and transforming group of Dutch chaplaincies. Also, we intend to stimulate a mutual discussion about the ways in which we as chaplaincies react to our different contexts, and what this means for our theology and relationship to the wider church.

Step by step

On Tuesday, of course, we will need time to get used to the environment, the climate, the food and the colleagues. We hope to get settled in together in a playful and relaxing way.

On Wednesday, we would like to show you how interesting the developments in the Netherlands are, in broader aspects of society as well as in religious matters, and to show you in which ways we are handling these developments. We would like to get you to asking yourselves: " What do and what don't I recognize? How would I handle this, and why?" In the morning there will be two lectures by experts who are outsiders to the church and to chaplaincy. In the afternoon, individual chaplains will engage in a dialogue about their personal situations and choices. It will be possible for everyone to meet two of them

On Thursday we will reflect on the theological implications of Wednesdays' input. Two colleagues from abroad and a Dutch theological expert will propose their reactions. In the afternoon, we will confront these questions in less verbal ways. At the end of the day, we will be able to form an opinion on the Dutch experiments and ask ourselves, whether they are theologically and methodologically meaningful also for different settings. In the evening, the Chaplaincy of Delft will present "My Motiv."

On Friday we are longing for something different and we will spend the whole day in Utrecht. In the morning we will be able to visit a colorful specter of projects and activities in the centre of the town. In the afternoon and evening everyone is free to pursue his or her own ways in Utrecht. Of course there will be ample information.

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