You can find the conference program below. Click on the links to get to a specific day quicker. The abstracts of the papers can be read on a separate page.
The conference program is still work-in-progress and may be updated. The latest version of the program can always be found on this webpage.
Version 24 September 2025.
Monday, 10 November 2025 – Opening and Contextual Framework
08:00 – 08:30: Registration
08:30 – 09:00: Opening by Moderator, the Rector, Leader project Church and Slavery, President of the Organizing Committee
09:00 – 09.45: Keynote Speech 1: Armando Lampe, Some Historical Reflections on Christianity and Slavery in Curacao.
09:45 – 10:15: Coffee Break
10:15 – 12:00: Panel 1 – Justification of Slavery and the Role of Dutch Theology
Moderator: Annette Merz
- 10:15 – 10:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 10:20 – 10:45: Thandi Soko-de Jong – Electing God’s Elect: Dualism in the Doctrine of Predestination and its Role in the Justification of Slavery and Colonisation
- 10:45 – 11:10: Ben J. Ipenburg – Contextual Theology in the 17th and 18th Century Republic of the United Netherlands
- 11:10 – 11:35: Martijn Stoutjesdijk – “Very Many People”? On the Impact and Reach of the Dutch Theological Debate on Spiritual and Physical Slavery
- 11:35 – 12:00: Dienke Hondius – Baptism, Slavery and Freedom: Developing New Historical Insights
12:00 – 13.15: Lunch Break
13:15 – 15:00: Panel 2 – Slavery and the Bible
Moderator: Martijn Stoutjesdijk
- 13:15 – 13:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 13:20 – 13:45: Kyle J. Dieleman – Honor Your Master?: Dutch Reformed Biblical Exegesis and Relationships of Enslavement
- 13:45 – 14:10: Andrea Mosterman – From Gideon to Queen Esther: Religion and the Naming of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Slave Ships
- 14:10 – 14:35: Anna Kasafi Perkins – Reading Against the Grain: John Lindsay’s Justification of Polygenesis and Slavery
- 14:35 – 15:00: Annette Merz – What are the Tasks of Biblical Scholarship with Regard to Exemplary Slaves and Slavery Metaphors in the Bible?
15.00-15.30: Coffee break
15.30 – 17.15: Panel 3 – Church, Faith, and Slavery in the Wider Dutch Empire
Moderator: Andrea Mosterman
- 15.30 – 15.35: Introduction by the moderator
- 15:35 – 16:00: Vincent Laarman – Slavery, Finances and the Reformed Churches throughout the Dutch Colonial Empire
- 16:00 – 16.25: Alexander van der Meer – Slavery and the Diaconate in Eighteenth-Century Batavia
- 16.25 – 16.50: Erica Meijers – The Confession of Belhar and its significance for the theological debate on Restorative Justice
- 16.50 – 17.15: Franz R. Exumé – Touched by the Breath of God: Isabella Baumfree, Dutch New World Slavery and Politics of Freedom
17:30 – 18:30: Networking Reception: sponsorship CTB, cultural show with folkloric group.
Moderator: Donate Philbert-Nieveld
Tuesday 11 November 2025 – Church and Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean
08:00 – 08:30: Registration
08:30 – 09.00: Wrap-up by the moderator, program overview, and house rules
09:00 – 09:45: Keynote Speech by Gelien Matthews, The Christian Church in the Last Days of Slavery in the British Caribbean.
09:45 – 10:15: Coffee Break
10.15 – 12.00: Panel 4 – Church and Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean 1
Moderator: Margo Groenewoud
- 10:15 – 10:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 10:20 – 10:45: Gert van Klinken – Marten Douwes Teenstra and the Netherlands Antilles
- 10:45 – 11.10: Alma Louise de Bode-Olton – The Anglican/Episcopal Church & Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean Islands (SSS)
- 11:10 – 11:35: Donate Philbert Nieveld – Faith, agency, and heritage: The experiences of enslaved owned by Reverend Cornelis Conradi after their forced migration from Curaçao to Suriname in 1856
- 11:35 – 12.00: Wycliffe S. Smith – The Role of the Christian Church in the History of Slavery on the Dutch Windward Islands
12:00 – 13.15: Lunch Break
13.15 – 15:00: Panel 5 – Church and Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean 2
Moderator: Liesbeth Echteld
- 13:15 – 13:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 13:20 – 13:55: Paul Stuit – Slavery, salvation, and slander: The Methodists on St. Maarten in the first half of the 19th century
- 13:55 – 14:10: Margo Groenewoud – Searching for Schinck: Revisiting Missionary Work on Curaçao in the Age of the Revolutions
- 14:10 – 14:35: Cees Luckhardt – “In the name of …? Niewindt and the catholic way of thinking of the enslaved people on Bonaire (Curacao and Aruba)”
- 14:35 – 15:00: Marlon Winedt – Subversive Scriptures: Reclaiming Emancipatory Messages through Creole Bible Translations
15:00 – 15:30: Coffee break
15:30 – 16.00: Dimitri Cloose – Faith, folklore, and oppression: the ethnographic collection of Brenneker-Juliana
16.00 – 17:00: Mario Kleinmoedig – Introduction NWA Project: Communication of Research (Storytelling)
Moderator: George Harinck
Wednesday, 12 November 2025 – Crossroads of Faith and Identity in Curaçao and Suriname
08:00 – 08:30 Registration
08:30 – 09.00: Wrap-up by the moderator, program overview, and house rules
09:00 – 09:45: Keynote Franklin Jabini, Confronting a Troubled Inheritance: Biographical Portraits of Christianity in the Era of Surinamese Slavery and Beyond.
09:45 – 10:15: Coffee Break
10.15 – 12.00: Panel 6 – Christianity and Afro-Curaçaoan Identity
Moderator: Rose Mary Allen
- 10:15 – 10:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 10:20 – 10:45: Richenel Ansano – (De)ancestralizations of Africans: Christianities in African Curaçaoan Identity Formation
- 10:45 – 11:10: Roberto (Bob) Harms – Syncretism and Spiritual Resilience: Christianity and Afro-Caribbean Spirituality in the Dutch Caribbean
- 11:10 – 11:35: Duncan Wielzen – The Resilience of Afro-Caribbean Spirituality in a Postmodern Society
- 11:35 – 12:00: Nataly Burgzorg – Afro-Curaçaoan womanhood and motherhood: The Spiritual, the Religious and the Woman
12:00 – 13:15: Lunch Break
13:15 – 15:00: Panel 7 – The Moravians and Slavery in Suriname
Moderator: Heleen Zorgdrager
- 13:15 – 13:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 13:20 – 13:45: Marie Keulen – Transforming Colonial Subjects: The Upbringing and Training of Afro-Surinamese Teachers in the Moravian Mission in Suriname, 1840–1863
- 13:45 – 14:10: Martin Theile – Baptism as a Ticket to Civil Rights (Moravian Missions in the 19th Century)
- 14:10 – 14:35: Wolf Behnsen – Disciplining “Carnal Liberty”: Moravian Missionaries’ Policy Regarding Slavery, Abolition, and their Oppressive Vision of a Post-Abolition Society in 19th-century Surinam
- 14:35 – 15:00: Maurice San-A-Jong – Spiritual Freedom, Physical Bondage: The Hernnhutter Mission and Enslaved Africans in Nineteenth-Century Suriname
15:00 – 15:30: Coffee Break
15:30 – 17:30: Panel 8 – Missionary Encounters and Local Cultures in Suriname
Moderator: Franklin Jabini
- 15:30 – 15:35: Introduction by the moderator.
- 15:35 – 16:00: Heleen Zorgdrager – An Exceptional Case? Reformed Missionary Activity in the Nickerie-District of Suriname and the Response of the Enslaved Population, 1820–1863
- 16:00 – 16:25: Rogério Brittes W. Pires – The Church and the Obia: What Must Be Made Visible or Invisible (According to Saamaka Christians)
- 16:25 – 16:50: Giovanna Montenegro – Moravian Missionaries and Their Engagement with Saamaka Cultural Traditions
- 16:50 – 17:15: Daan van den Broek – Winti and Christianity around the Surinamese Kankantri
- 17:15 – 17:40: George Harinck – Free Churches and the Netherlands, Mission and Slavery
17.40 – 19.30: free
19:30 – 21:00: Ecumenical Celebration, Ebenezer Church (details tba)
Thursday, 13 November 2025 – Memory and Reparations
08:30 – 09:00: Registration [N.B. Later start time]
09:00 – 09.30: Wrap-up by the moderator, program overview, and house rules
09.30 – 10.15: Keynote Marian Markelo, The Rise of African Diaspora Spirituality.
10.15 – 10.40: Coffee Break
10:40 – 12:00: Panel 9 – Memory, Education, and Reflection
Moderator: Dienke Hondius
- 10:40 – 10:45: Introduction by the moderator.
- 10:45 – 11:10: Madelon Grant – Lessons Learned from the Exhibition ‘Christianity and Slavery. A Dutch Narrative’ (Museum Catharijneconvent, 2024)
- 11:10 – 11:35: Ronald Severing, Liesbeth Echteld & Wim Rutgers – The Role of Some Pioneers with Regard to Christianization, Education and Emancipation in Curaçao
- 11:35 – 12.00: Mildred Caprino – Postcolonial Reflection on Legacy of Christianity and Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean and Suriname
12:00 – 13:15: Lunch Break
13.15 – 15:00: Panel 10 – Post-slavery, Apologies, and Reparations
Moderator: Erica Meijer
- 13:15 – 13:20: Introduction by the moderator
- 13:20 – 13:45: Jerome Teelucksing – Genuine Apology or Not?: The Church’s Voice Against Slavery
- 13:45 – 14:10: Geert van Dartel – Contribution of the Council of Churches in the Netherlands to Processing the Dutch Slavery Past
- 14:10 – 14:35: Okama Epke Brook – Addressing Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations: The Role of Christianity in the Americas, Africa and the Dutch Caribbean
- 14:35 – 15:00: Andreas Wöhle – HPHR – A practical faith contribution to healing and reconciliation
15:00 – 15:30: Coffee Break
15.30 – 16.00: Plenary discussion
16.00 – 16.30: Synthesis and Final Observations by Rose Mary Allen and Annette Merz
Friday, 14 November 2025 – Optional Day Tour: “Traces of Faith in the Slavery Past of Curaçao”
More information on the Day Tour (ca. 08:00-ca. 14:30) will be announced later.
