BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Reading Group: End-of-Life & Religion #2 METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20261112T124500 DTEND:20261112T140000 DTSTAMP:20261112T124500 UID:reading-group-end-of-life-reli@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260826T201749 LOCATION: SUMMARY:Reading Group: End-of-Life & Religion #2 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 p ersonal perspective on the topic is cordially invited. Together, thro ugh literature, film, articles & more, we’ll try to deepen our understanding of how religion and the last phase of life are intertwi ned.

The topic 

It’s  easy 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. Deat h is universal and yet also highly particular: personal, cultural,&nb sp;contextual. So, death as a topic exists on these junctions of alwa ys present and pushed away; of applying to everyone but also manifest ing itself in highly specific ways. Connected to these junctions we f ind religion’s interactions with death. Where in many instance s religion is pushed to the fringes of society, death seemingly reinvites religion into the conversation, perhaps implying& nbsp;more 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 me dical and behavioural sciences to literature and philosophy. 

Session build-up 

This second sessi on centres on Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death. For a rudimentary introduction to this reading material, you can scroll d own to the book cover. Dr. Annemie Halsema will offer an introduction to De Beauvoir’s work on aging (in particular The Coming of Ag e) and gradual changes in her notion of aging, partly in relatio n to A Very Easy Death. Co-organiser Marc Lamain will guide the ensuing conversation. The schedule is as follows: 

< p>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. Annemie Halsema introduces Simone de Beauvoir’s work on ag ing
1:25 p.m. window to leave (for anyone with ot her commitments after the lunch break)
1:30 p.m. open conversation
1:55 p.m. summarising and wrap- up
2:00 p.m. closing

Reading group  build-up 

During three initial s essions we’ll enter this wide thematic&nbs p;field together. We’ve purposefully selected light and e lementary material for these three sessions, so we can ease into the topic together. Once we’ve laid this foundation, subsequent sessions can have a more r efined angle and more complex material. You’re free to jo in us for any of the sessions that speak to you; but do encourag e you to join us all along the way.  

The initia l sessions are built up as follows: 

At the end o f 2026 subsequent sessions will be announced. 

The organisers 

This reading group is co -organised by the University Library and researchers dr. Pieter Copp ens & dr. Jens Reinke. Coppens is associate profe ssor of Islamic intellectual and cultural history. His research project The Art of Dying in Islamic Traditions (600–1800)& nbsp;focuses on the relationship between the deathbed  in premodern Islam. Reinke is assistant professor of B uddhist studies. His research on contemporary Mahaya Buddhism in a global perspective has recently started branching into the la st of phase of life in Buddhism. 

As part of the Universit y Library, programme maker Marc Lamain co-organises this reading group. If you want to know more about reading groups at the lib rary, the dedicated webpag e should be of service to you. 

DESCRIPTION: In our reading group at the library on ‘End-of-Life &am p; Religion,’ co-organised by dr. Pieter Coppens & dr. Jens Rei nke, everyone’s academic and personal perspective on the topic is c ordially 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.

The topic&n bsp;

It’s easy to resort to clichés when it comes to deat h. Death is far away in much of everyday life, and at the same time i t is everywhere. Death is universal and yet also highly particular: p ersonal, cultural, contextual. So, death as a topic exists on th ese junctions of always present and pushed away; of applying to every one but also manifesting itself in highly specific ways. Connected to these junctions we find religion’s interactions with death. W here in many instances religion is pushed to the fringes of society, death seemingly reinvites religion into the conversation,&n bsp;perhaps implying more junctions. It is from this b road sketch, that we enter the field as a reading group. As organisers, we hope people from a wide range of disciplines feel inv ited to join, from medical and behavioural sciences to literature and philosophy. 

Session build-up 

Thi s second session centres on Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy De ath. For a rudimentary introduction to this reading material, yo u can scroll down to the book cover. Dr. Annemie Halsema will offer a n introduction to De Beauvoir’s work on aging (in particular Th e Coming of Age) and gradual changes in her notion of aging, par tly in relation to A Very Easy Death. Co-organiser Marc Lama in will guide the ensuing conversation. The schedule is as follo ws: 12:45 p.m. walk-in (at the U niversity Library, HG-01A01) 
12:55 p.m.&nbs p;opening: the organisers introduce the reading group, its topic and some guidelines 
1:00 p.m. in troduction: dr. Annemie Halsema introduces Simone de Beauvoir’s wor k on aging
1:25 p.m. window to leave (for anyone with other commitments after the lunch break)
1:30 p.m. open conversation
1:55 p.m. summarising an d wrap-up
2:00 p.m. closing

Reading gr oup build-up 

During three initial s essions we’ll enter this wide thematic&nbs p;field together. We’ve purposefully selected light and e lementary material for these three sessions, so we can ease into the topic together. Once we’ve laid this foundation, subsequent sessions can have a more r efined angle and more complex material. You’re free to jo in us for any of the sessions that speak to you; but do encourag e you to join us all along the way.  The initial  sessions are built up as follows: 
  • Session 1, discussin g Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich wi th an introduction by prof. dr. Dirk-Martin Grube on 8 October 2026, 12:45 till 2:00 p.m. 
  • Session 2, discussing Simone de B eauvoir’s A Very Easy Death with an introduction by dr. Annemie Halsema on 12 November 2026, 12:45 till 2:00 p.m. 
  • Session 3, watching Essay Liu’s & Yu-Lin Wang’s S even Days in Heaven with an introduction by dr. Jens Reinke on 10 December 2026, 12:45 till 3:30 p.m. 
At the end of 2026 su bsequent sessions will be announced. 

The organi sers 

This reading group is co-organised by the Uni versity Library and researchers dr. Pieter Coppens &&nb sp;dr.  Jens Reinke. Coppens is associate professor of Islamic intel lectual and cultural history. His research project The Art of Dying in Islamic Traditions (600–1800) focuses on the relationship between the deathbed in premodern Isl am. Reinke is assistant professor of Buddhist studies.  ;His research on contemporary Mahaya Buddhism in a global perspective has recently started branching into the last of phase of life i n Buddhism. As part of the University Library, programme maker M arc Lamain co-organises this reading group. If you want to know more about reading groups at the library, the dedicated webpage should be of serv ice to you.  END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR