Welcome to Words to live by. This site intends to provide you with inspirational texts based on scriptures and narratives of a philosophical and spiritual nature. These texts, columns, meditations or whatever you wish to call them, will be posted on a regular basis, twice a month.
About me
After some brief excursions in music and art, I went to study theology at the University of Tilburg – Netherlands – and graduated in the nineties with a master-thesis on religious studies. Since the mid-eighties I have published articles on women’s studies, history and non-christian cultures. Over the last twenty five years I have worked as a pastor and spiritual counselor, choir conductor and copywriter.
Blog
Advent trilogy III: Quantum leaps
He could have sent her away. He could have turned her in to the elders. Surely they would have known what to do with her. She could have been stoned, for those were the days and those were the rules. And unfortunately in some societies they still are. He would have had every right to …
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Advent trilogy II: Dare the dark
Half a life ago I wrote a thesis titled Earth, the Body and the Dark as sites of salvation. Being a woman and a feminist in the male dominated world of theology, I choked more than once on the whole concept of dualism. You know, earth versus heaven, matter versus spirit, female versus male etcetera. …
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Advent trilogy I: While waiting
When it comes to translating texts or sentences, it often strikes me as odd that some languages have two, or even more words for something, whereas other languages have only one. Latin for instance has two words for future: futurum and adventus. Futurum is the sort of future we, active and self defining individuals of …
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Contact
If you have any questions or remarks concerning this blog, please feel welcome to mail me or leave a comment on this website. I’ll be happy to respond. Greetings, Maria van Gurp.