Suchergebnisse

This liber amicorum brings together writings by more than forty authors, who reflect on the research and professional life course of Sonja Snacken. The following themes are discussed: human rights and prisoners? rights, punitiveness, reductionism, comparative penological research, prison research and other penological topics that Sonja studied during her rich career at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

People are now more liberated to give meaning to their life and to select values they deem important. What effect does this have on conversations about meaning and spirituality with the upcoming generation? Nowadays, shared religious and church practices are not as prevalent as they once were. Is a personal testimony of how meaning and spirituality have developed in one's own life the or a way of communicating something to children, pupils, and students? One way of sharing a testimony is the 'spiritual autobiography', a practice that was developed in the US and later brought to the Netherlands by Jannet Delver. It is now used in universities and higher vocational schools. Also for group discussions with clients, writing and sharing one's spiritual biography has been found to contribute to (re)finding sources of strength in difficult times.
In this book, the method is applied in an intergenerational context through a series of letters between the editor and his daughters Elsemarijn and Janneleen, along with an accompanying discussion. Additionally, many professionals and scientists provide their – personal – perspectives.
Living as a search for the meaning of life need not be laborious, but rather engaging and contagious.

Simon van Slingelandt (1664-1736) has been in the service of the Republic of the United Netherlands during his entire working life. In 1690 he started his career as secretary of the Council of State (Raad van State). In 1725 he was appointed Treasurer-General and in 1727 he accepted the position of Grand Pensionary over Holland and West Friesland. In this final position he was 'le premier homme de la Republique' during the Second Stadtholderless period. This period commenced after the death of stadtholder-king William III in 1702 and would last until 1747. As a civil servant, he has left a great impression upon the daily affairs in both domestic and foreign political business. He sharply perceived how hairline cracks in the union of the seven provinces (Utrecht 1579) threatened to become fractures. After the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713), the Republic faced hard times. This incited Van Slingelandt to write critical texts. In both a personal capacity and as secretary of the Council of State, he pointed out the danger of a collapse of the system of government to the domestic allies. He also made propositions to improve the political-administrative system and financial policy. Van Slingelandt gathered these ideas in several treatises. These writings circulated during his lifetime, but were published later, in 1784-1785, titled Staatkundige Geschriften (Political Writings), fifty years after his death. This book contains a complete analysis of these treatises – as yet missing from historiography – which is preceded by an extensive biographical chapter about Van Slingelandt.