i . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS y own biography is marked by experiences of Christian division and the struggle for reconciliation. To some extent, this study is a result of that struggle and constitutes my contribution to the restoration of Christian unity. My first acknowledgements should be addressed at my parents, the Reformed congregations of my youth, and the Theological University Kampen, who have all facilitated my initiation in the Christian faith. The latter also contributed significantly to my academic training, together with Tilburg University’s School of Catholic Theology. I am grateful for the education that I received and for the chance to write a dissertation on the topic of my choice, tied to my master’s thesis. Among those who have inspired me to engage in the current project, I want to thank dr. Harm Goris, my supervisor at the time, for his continuing support along the way. I am particularly grateful to my first promotor, prof. dr. Johannes Först, who has accompanied me from the very start. He has left his mark on my research by suggesting the practical theological methodology that proved indispensable for answering my question. Had it not been for him, I would have written a very different study without the focus it has today, which addresses the very essence of my inquiry. In addition, he and my other supervisors have helped me acquire the skills and mindset required for such a project. Prof. dr. Johanna Rahner offered her much appreciated expertise in ecumenical theology, especially by providing feedback on my article in Catholica. I thank prof. dr. Jan Loffeld for joining us the last couple of years and for his enthusiasm and constructive feedback. I am very grateful to the PhD committee for critically assessing my manuscript. Your feedback has definitely improved my thesis. Its publication has benefitted significantly from Michelle Rochard’s linguistic corrections and the assistance of the staffs of IRiLiS and Ridderprint. M
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