Jasper de Kok, MDiv student at the Theological University of Apeldoorn, was one of the participants of the first ReIReS School in Mainz, September 2018. Here is his blog with a personal impression.
“Every scholar of religious studies has his own background and approach. The participants in Mainz were very diverse in this regard. I fully endorse TUA’s mission, in which confessional study of the sources is held in high regard. The modern Church has to keep in touch with its history. Scientific research of the sources is invaluable in that regard. However, this field of research demands a lot of our small university. Researching the sources demands expertise that TUA sometimes lacks. In this way, I have learned that TUA has a lot to learn from other institutions. The training in Mainz has been very valuable in this respect.
The participants were involved in several specialized workshops. Two of them were: the reading of old manuscripts, and Latin paleography and provenance. Also, a lot of dialogue took place concerning the future of cooperation in the research of the sources. As for me, these workshops have proven to be useful in my field of study: historical theology. When needed, I could pass on the knowledge that I gained in Mainz to my fellow students.
The Reformation has always stressed the importance of researching the sources. This is no easy task – and therefore, TUA is very much helped by these trainings. ReIReS has proven itself to bery helpful in our attempts to keep in touch with church history.
Going back to the sources – TUA is ready to continually invest in this. And we get a lot of help in this mission, too.”
