2nd Dutch Apology Congress
26 September 2026
Finding Words: Speaking Meaningfully About Faith in Our Time
How can we speak about faith clearly and thoughtfully in today’s world?
How do we engage big questions about belief, meaning, and truth—with depth, honesty, or respect?
The 2nd Dutch Apology Congress is dedicated to high-quality knowledge sharing and meaningful conversation about the Christian faith today. It brings together everyone who wants to think deeply, ask good questions, and grow in understanding.
This congress offers a space to listen, learn, reflect, and engage—without pressure, but with depth. Through lectures, dialogue, and shared exploration, we seek to find words that help us speak about faith in a thoughtful, credible, and meaningful way in our time.
We warmly invite you to take part in our 2nd congress!
What This Congress Is About
Building on the success of the first edition, the 2026 congress focuses on key apologetic questions related to faith, science, history, ethics, and culture. Through lecturesand open discussion, participants are invited to explore these topics in a way that is both intellectually serious and accessible.
A distinctive element of this second edition is that it includes different perspectives within the Christian tradition. These differences are not the main focus, but they are an important part of the conversation. By hearing multiple viewpoints on certain topics, participants are encouraged to form well-reasoned convictions of their own—understanding not only what they believe, but why.
The goal is not to push a single position, but to create a space where Christians can grow in clarity, confidence, and maturity in their thinking and speaking.
What You Will Gain
By attending the 2nd Dutch Apology Congress, you can expect to:
Gain deeper insight into important questions facing Christianity today
Learn how to communicate faith clearly and thoughtfully
Engage with different Christian perspectives in a respectful and constructive way
Develop your own well-grounded views and convictions
Connect ideas from apologetics to everyday conversations and real-life situations
Beyond the sessions, the congress offers time and space for conversation, networking, and personal encounters, helping to build a community of people committed to thoughtful faith and lifelong learning.
Who Is This Congress For?
This congress is for:
Anyone who enjoys in-depth conversations about faith, meaning, and society
Students, professionals, and lifelong learners interested in faith and reason
Christians who want to deepen their understanding of their beliefs
People with questions or doubts who are open to exploring Christianity thoughtfully
Educators, leaders, and communicators who want to engage complex topics with clarity
Seekers and critics who wish to learn more about faith Christian principles.
Whether you are new to apologetics or already familiar with it, you are warmly invited!
Draft Program
26 September 2026
09:00 Welcome Coffee
09:30 Opening
Session 1: From Theism to Christianity
09:40 From Theism to Christianity – Emanuel Rutten
10:10 How does the Christian faith relate to other religions? – René van Woudenberg
10:40 Q&A
10:55 Coffee break
Session 2: Our Suffering and God’s love – How does that work?
11:15 Why have You forsaken me? – Wim van Vlastuin
11.45 Dealing with questions about God and suffering – Arjan Markus
12.15 Coping with loss – Annemarie Six-Wienen
12:30 The life and suffering of Father Titus Brandsma – Anton de Wit
12:45 Dealing with antisemitism and oppression (video) – Chief Rabbi Jacobs
13:00 Q&A
13.15 Lunch
Session 3: Faith and Science – Creation, Evolution and Scriptural Authority – Part 1
14:05 Evolution – Theological interpretation – Gijsbert van de Brink
14:35 What evolution does / does not say – Ard Louis
15:05 Q&A
15:20 Coffee break
Session 4: Faith and Science – Creation, Evolution and Scriptural Authority – Part 2
15:40 Creation and / or evolution – Willem Ouweneel
16:10 Faith and science in practice – Susanne van Veluw
16:40 Q&A
16:55 Closing
17:00 Networking drinks
Congress Moderator 2026
Andries Knevel
Andries Knevel (1952) studied theology in Amsterdam and Utrecht. After a brief period in education, he went on to work for more than forty years at the Evangelical Broadcasting Organization (EO), serving in various roles, including as a member of the executive board (1993–2006). He became widely known as the host of several television programs, such as Het Elfde Uur and Knevel en Van den Brink. His final television production was the 18-part documentary series Andries and the Scientists, in which he portrayed national and international Christian scientists. The series focused on the question of how they integrate faith and science, and how this integration has taken shape in their lives and work.
Faculty
Dr. ir. Emanuel Rutten
Emanuel Rutten is a philosopher. He is affiliated as a lecturer and researcher with the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is also connected to the VU Centre Ethos for Societal Transformation. His research focuses on the relationship between faith and science, metaphysics, rhetoric, and epistemology.
Prof. dr. René van Woudenberg
René van Woudenberg is a Dutch philosopher and professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Specializing in epistemology, philosophy of religion, and metaphysics, his work examines the rationality of religious belief, skepticism, and debates about naturalism and science. He has published extensively and is an active contributor to philosophical discussions in the Netherlands and internationally.
Prof. dr. Wim van Vlastuin
Wim van Vlastuin is a Dutch theologian, minister, and professor. He has served several congregations within the Dutch Reformed Church and earned his doctorate with a study on the revival theology of Jonathan Edwards. Van Vlastuin has published numerous books on spirituality, renewal, and Reformed theology and is Professor of Theology and Spirituality of Reformed Protestantism at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he also serves as rector of the Hersteld Hervormd Seminarie.
Dr. Arjan Markus
Arjan Markus earned his doctorate in philosophy of religion at Utrecht University. He researched how meaning-making works and what role conceptions of God play in it. He is also the author of the book Adieu God, which explores whether a thoughtful person can still believe in a personal God. As an affiliated researcher at Protestant Theological University, he publishes on narrative apologetics. Arjan works as a minister at the Pelgrimvaderskerk in Rotterdam-Delfshaven within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
Ds. Annemarie Six-Wienen
Annemarie Six-Wienen studied Dutch language and literature, worked as a secondary school teacher, and later at the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. After studying theology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and completing a pastoral master’s at the Protestant Theological University, she became a congregational minister in 2017 at Benschop within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. From 2018 she also served several interim congregations, and in 2022 became minister of the Marekerk in De Meern (Vleuten-De Meern parish).
Anton de Wit
Anton de Wit (1979) is a writer, journalist, and a frequently invited speaker on Roman Catholic themes. He studied journalism in Tilburg and worked for many years as a freelance (religious) journalist for various newspapers and magazines. Since 2017, he has been editor-in-chief of Katholiek Nieuwsblad. He is the author of, among other works, the book “Do You Believe It? Genuine Journalism in Times of Fake News”. In this book, he also reflects on the remarkable testimony of the Frisian priest Titus Brandsma, who died in the Dachau concentration camp due to his resistance against Nazism.
Chief Rabbi Jacobs
Binyomin Jacobs is the only Chief Rabbi in the Netherlands. Although he has long passed retirement age, he is still active on a daily basis in carrying out rabbinical duties, both within and outside the Netherlands. He is, among other roles, active for the Brussels-based European Jewish Association and has an extensive network of contacts, both within and outside the Jewish community. Chief Rabbi Jacobs comes from an ancient Dutch-Jewish family and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honors.
Prof. dr. Gijsbert van den Brink
Gijsbert van den Brink has been Professor of Theology & Science at the School of Religion and Theology of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam since 2015. He previously served as a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church and held teaching positions at CHE, University of Groningen, and Utrecht University. From 2007 to 2015 he held the endowed chair in Reformed Protestantism, first at Leiden University and later at the Protestant Theological University. Together with Dr. C. van der Kooi, he co-authored the widely used Christelijke dogmatiek (Zoetermeer, 2012). His best-known publication on faith and evolution is En de aarde bracht voort. Christelijk geloof en evolutie (Utrecht, 2017).
Prof. dr. Ard Louis
Ard Louis is a theoretical physicist with interdisciplinary interests such as DNA self-assembly, evolution theory, soft matter, AI, and algorithmic information theory. He collaborates with scientists across a wide range of disciplines. He studied physics in Utrecht, completed his PhD under Neil Ashcroft at Cornell University, and later worked in Cambridge and Oxford, where he is a professor of theoretical physics. In 2025, he received the Sam Edwards Medal and Prize for his contributions to mathematical and numerical models in biological and soft-matter physics.
He is active in the science-and-faith debate, including through BioLogos, Developing a Christian Mind (Oxford), and the Faraday Institute. He also made the documentary Why Are We Here and appeared in The Story of God, which earned him an Erdős–Bacon number of 6.
Prof. dr. Willem Ouweneel
Willem J. Ouweneel (1944) earned PhDs in biology (Utrecht, 1970), philosophy (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1986), and theology (Bloemfontein, South Africa, 1993). He is an emeritus professor of philosophy of science (Potchefstroom, South Africa) and systematic theology (Leuven/Heverlee, Belgium). He has authored more than two hundred books and has preached in over thirty countries.
Dr. Susanne van Veluw
Susanne van Veluw studied psychobiology (BSc) and neuroscience (MSc) at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, respectively. She then completed her PhD (cum laude) at Utrecht University with a dissertation focused on microvascular damage in the brain. After her PhD, she moved to the United States for postdoctoral research on the brain disease cerebral amyloid angiopathy at Harvard Medical School in Boston. After living and working in Boston for ten years, she relocated her research group to the University of Edinburgh, where she now works at the UK Dementia Research Institute as Professor of Translational Vascular Neuroscience. In her free time, Susanne studies philosophy and ethics and often heads to the mountains for hiking.
Congress location
We are currently in the process of selecting a suitable venue for the upcoming conference. The event will take place in the central region of the Netherlands, in the area around Utrecht, ensuring easy accessibility for participants from across the country. As soon as the venue has been confirmed, we will announce it on our website. Please keep an eye on this page for the latest updates!
Registration fees
If you are interested in attending the 2nd Dutch Apology Congress, you can register through the online registration portal. The following fees will apply:
Group registrations: for every 10 participants registered together, 2 additional registrations are included at no extra cost. Interested? Contact us by email to register your group: info@share-apologetics.org
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations are possible within 14 days after payment, with a full refund of the registration fee. After this period, refunds are no longer available. However, tickets may be transferred to another person at no additional cost. In this case, the name change must be communicated in advance via email at: info@share-apologetics.org
Sponsors
To deliver this congress, we depend on financial support. Do you see an opportunity to support our mission? Contact us to discuss the support options.
We will gladly post your logo here to recognise your support.
Media partners
We are grateful to everyone who helps us with publicity for this conference, especially our media partners:
1st Dutch Apology Congress
The first Dutch Apology Congress was held on 27 September 2025 in Amersfoort and provided a high-quality educational program featuring key experts. For more information about the first edition, click here:
Thematic Masterclasses
The topics covered during the 1st Dutch Apologetics Conference are offered as an in-depth series of thematic masterclasses. If you missed the conference, or if you are interested in exploring the conference topics, click here: