Being a Sister, Being a Woman: Practical Theological Research into the Life and Missionary Experiences of Belgian Zusters van de Jacht

There is, today still, a relative lack of academic discussion of women’s spirituality and theology. This project seeks to redress this balance. This is particularly true in the case of religious orders where the experiences recorded are more often historical and practical than personal and spiritual. The research will record the experiences of the Zusters van de Jacht in Heverlee who worked abroad as missionaries in many different capacities. These experiences have not been systematically recorded, and the voices and stories of these women have largely gone unheard. Using interviews, I hope to elicit and record the Sisters’ stories. The practical research component of the project seeks to examine what these life stories might have to say about female spirituality today.