When cholera hit the small village of Scheveningen on the west coast of Holland in June 1832, it took everybody by surprise. It had been generally assumed that the deadly disease would come from the east. From India the pandemic had spread throughout Asia, reaching Russia, Poland, then Prussia…… Soldiers had fired their rifles to clear the air, ships had been quarantined, travellers had been stopped and questioned, all to no avail.

The first cases of cholera in the Netherlands were fierce...

The earliest Christian myths emerged in the melting pot of Gnostic Alexandria, not in orthodox Jerusalem, classical Athens or legalistic Rome. In this book, Tjeu van den Berk traces the sources of the Christian faith to the banks of the river Nile.

In terms of symbolism, the Christian religion is virtually identical to that of the ancient Egyptians. From the perspective of religious history, we can agree with the theologian Eugen Drewermann who described ‘ a complete dependence of Christia...

Solitary Persons? describes the autism theories of George Frankl (1897-1975), Hans Asperger (1906-1980) and Leo Kanner (1894-1981). These medical doctors were among the first to work with autistic children. Frankl’s role in the history of autism was discovered in 2015 and is clarified here. Asperger and Kanner are well-known founders of autism research, but this dissertation presents new discoveries about their work and a new interpretation of their work as a whole.

Frankl, Asperger and Kan...

Rian de Waal (1958-2011) has written a book about the piano, and how the development of piano playing has been very much dependent upon musicians who were able to cross borders. In 'Metamorphoses, the Art of the Virtuoso Piano Transcription', De Waal takes us on a journey through the capricious history of the piano transcription. At first revered by musicians and audience alike (and often the sole reason for the great fame of some pianists), the piano transcription later became despised and c...

During large parts of its history chemistry was seen as a science of progress, admired by many. But contemporary public debates on chemistry have been quite critical, mainly for environmental reasons. Therefore is it interesting to note that in the course of the 1990s “green chemistry” emerged. The origins, scientific meaning and drivers behind the spectacular growth of that new field are the subject of "Research between Science, Society and Politics: The History and Scientific Developmen...

This edited volume explores the interface between psychiatry and spiritual care. Philosophers, psychiatrists and chaplains focus on recovery, trauma and grief in mental health care, prison and military settings.

The recent production of case studies in chaplaincy care combines the narrative nature of chaplaincy with the rigors of research demanded in contemporary care settings. The contributions in this volume from both practitioners and academic researchers join reflections on the challenges and promises of case study research in chaplaincy care with the results of specific case studies. Based on reflections on methodology and professionalization in chaplaincy, the volume hopes to contribute to answ...

"From the era of Charles the Bold in 1477, the State of Burgundy encompassed not only present-day Netherlands but also modern Belgium, various counties in northern France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and the counties of Nevers and Burgundy. Beginning in the 1200s, the first apothecary establishments emerged in the towns within this Burgundian territory. But what was life like for these medieval apothecaries? This book delves into questions such as:

• How did they operate?

• Where were their es...