Brenda Mathijssen, Netherlands
Brenda is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. She has an expertise in death studies, psychology of religion and anthropology of religion.
By investigating death in contemporary societies, she aims to more fully understand funerary and bereavement processes. Moreover, she seeks to unpick people’s complex and everchanging meaning and belief systems.
Brenda has previously worked on ritual creativity, secularisation and death in the Netherlands (Radboud University Nijmegen), and has been part of an AHRC-ERSC project on deathscapes and religious-ethnic plurality in the UK (University of Reading). She is affiliated to the Centre for Thanatology (Nijmegen), the Centre for Death and Life Studies (Durham University) and the European Research Network on Death Rituals.
Email: Brenda.mathijssen@rug.nl
Publications: Mathijssen’ B. & Venhorst’ C. (2019). Funerary practices in the Netherlands. Bradford: Emerald. Mathijssen’ B. (2017). Making sense of death. Ritual practices and situational beliefs of the recently bereaved in the Netherlands. Münster: Lit Verlag. Mathijssen’ B. (2018). ‘Transforming bonds. Ritualising post-mortem relationships in the Netherlands’. Mortality. 23 (3) 215-230. Maddrell’ A.’ Beebeejaun’ Y.’ McClymont’ K.’ McNally’ D.’ Mathijssen’ B & Abid Dogra’ S. (2018). ‘Paisatges funeraris i diversitat a Anglaterra i a Gal·les: l’establiment d’una agenda’ [‘Deathscapes and Diversity in England and Wales: setting an agenda’]. La Revista d’Etnologia de Catalunya. 43. 39-53. Mathijssen’ B. (2017). ‘The ambiguity of human ashes. Exploring encounters with cremated remains in the Netherlands’. Death Studies. 41 (1). 34-41.