BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Reading Group: End-of-Life & Religion #3 METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20261210T124500 DTEND:20261210T140000 DTSTAMP:20261210T124500 UID:2026/reading-group-end-of-life@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260806T160948 LOCATION: SUMMARY:Reading Group: End-of-Life & Religion #3 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

In our reading group  at the library on ‘End-of-Life & Religion,’ co-organised by dr. Pieter Coppens & dr. Jens Reinke, everyone’s academic and persona l perspective on the topic is cordially invited. Together, throu gh literature, film, articles & more, we’ll try to deepen our und erstanding of how religion and the last phase of life are intertwine d.

The topic 

It’s easy t o resort to clichés when it comes to death. Death is far away in muc h of everyday life, and at the same time it is everywhere. Death is u niversal and yet also highly particular: personal, cultural, con textual. So, death as a topic exists on these junctions of always pre sent and pushed away; of applying to everyone but also manifesting it self in highly specific ways. Connected to these junctions we find re ligion’s interactions with death. Where in many instances reli gion is pushed to the fringes of society, death seemingly reinvi tes religion into the conversation, perhaps implying m ore junctions. It is from this broad sketch, that we enter the field as a reading group. As organisers, we hope people from a wide range of disciplines feel invited to join, from medical and behavioural sciences to literature and philosophy. 

< strong>Session build-up 

This third session cent res on Essay Liu’s (writer) and Yu-Lin Wang’s (director) film Seven Days in Heaven (父後七日). For a ru dimentary introduction to this material, you can scroll down to the f ilm cover. Co-organiser dr. Jens Reinke will offer an introduction to the film and we’ll watch it together. Co-organiser Marc Lamain wil l guide the ensuing conversation. The schedule is as follows:&nb sp;

12:45 p.m. walk-in (at the University Library, HG-01A01) 
12:55 p.m.&nb sp;opening: the organisers introduce the reading group, its topic and some guidelines 
1:00 p.m. i ntroduction: dr. Jens Reinke introduces Seven Days in Heaven by Essay Liu and Yu-Lin Wang
1:25 p.m. window to leave (for anyone with other commitments after the lunch break)
< strong>1:30 p.m. watching the film
3:00 p.m. open conversation
3:30 p.m. closing

< strong>Reading group build-up 

During three  initial sessions we’ll enter this wi de thematic field together. We’ve purposefully selected light and elementary material for these three sess ions, so we can ease into the topic together. Once we� ��ve laid this foundation, subsequent sessions ca n have a more refined angle and more complex material. You� ��re free to join us for any of the sessions that speak to you; but do encourage you to join us all along the way.  

The initial sessions are built up as follows: 

At the end of 2026 subsequent sessions will be anno unced. 

The organisers 

This reading group is co-organised by the University Library and res earchers dr. Pieter Coppens & dr. Jens Reinke. Coppen s is associate professor of Islamic intellectual and cultural history . His research project The Art of Dying in Islamic Trad itions (600–1800) focuses on the relationship between&nbs p;the deathbed in premodern Islam. Reinke is assistant professor of Buddhist studies. His research on contemporar y Mahaya Buddhism in a global perspective has recently started branch ing into the last of phase of life in Buddhism. 

As p art of the University Library, programme maker Marc Lamain co-organis es this reading group. If you want to know more about readi ng groups at the library,  the dedicated webpage should be of service to you. 

DESCRIPTION:

The topic 

It’s eas y to resort to clichés when it comes to death. Death is far away in much of everyday life, and at the same time it is everywhere. Death i s universal and yet also highly particular: personal, cultural,  contextual. So, death as a topic exists on these junctions of always present and pushed away; of applying to everyone but also manifesting itself in highly specific ways. Connected to these junctions we find religion’s interactions with death. Where in many instances r eligion is pushed to the fringes of society, death seemingly rei nvites religion into the conversation, perhaps implying&nbs p;more junctions. It is from this broad sketch, that we ent er the field as a reading group. As organisers, we hope peo ple from a wide range of disciplines feel invited to join, from medic al and behavioural sciences to literature and philosophy. 

< strong>Session build-up 

This third session centre s on Essay Liu’s (writer) and Yu-Lin Wang’s (director) film S even Days in Heaven (父後七日). For a rudi mentary introduction to this material, you can scroll down to the fil m cover. Co-organiser dr. Jens Reinke will offer an introduction to t he film and we’ll watch it together. Co-organiser Marc Lamain will guide the ensuing conversation. The schedule is as follows:  ; 12:45 p.m. walk-in (at the Universi ty Library, HG-01A01) 
12:55 p.m. openi ng: the organisers introduce the reading group, its topic a nd some guidelines 
1:00 p.m. introduct ion: dr. Jens Reinke introduces Seven Days in Heaven by Essa y Liu and Yu-Lin Wang
1:25 p.m. window to leave ( for anyone with other commitments after the lunch break)
1 :30 p.m. watching the film
3:00 p.m. ope n conversation
3:30 p.m. closing

Read ing group build-up 

During three initial  sessions we’ll enter this wide thema tic field together. We’ve purposefully selected ligh t and elementary material for these three sessions, so we c an ease into the topic together. Once we’ve lai d this foundation, subsequent sessions can have a more refined angle and more complex material. You’re fre e to join us for any of the sessions that speak to you; but do e ncourage you to join us all along the way.   The initi al sessions are built up as follows:  At the end of 20 26 subsequent sessions will be announced. 

The organisers 

This reading group is co-organise d by the University Library and researchers dr. Pieter Coppens&n bsp;& dr. Jens Reinke. Coppens is associate professor of I slamic intellectual and cultural history. His research project&n bsp;The Art of Dying in Islamic Traditions (600–1800) focuses on the relationship between the deathbed in p remodern Islam. Reinke is assistant professor of Buddhist s tudies. His research on contemporary Mahaya Buddhism in a global perspective has recently started branching into the last of pha se of life in Buddhism.  As part of the University Library, prog ramme maker Marc Lamain co-organises this reading group. If you want to know more about reading groups at the library, the dedicated webpage shou ld be of service to you.  In our reading group at the library� �on ‘End-of-Life & Religion,’ co-organised by dr. Pieter Coppens & dr. Jens Reinke, everyone’s academic and personal perspective o n the topic is cordially invited. Together, through literature, film, articles & more, we’ll try to deepen our understanding of  how religion and the last phase of life are intertwined. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR