Brenda Mathijssen

Brenda Mathijssen is a Senior Lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society at the University of Groningen. She holds a prominent role in advancing research on death practices, cultural rituals, and minority inclusion in mortuary spaces. Her work bridges religious studies, anthropology, and geography, with a focus on cemeteries, cremation, and the socio-political dimensions of dying.

Mathijssen’s research explores topics such as natural burial trends, ritual efficacy, and the geopolitics of minority deathscapes. She has published extensively on cultural inclusion in cemeteries, crematoria policy, and the symbolic dimensions of funeral rituals. Her recent projects include investigating sustainable death practices in the Netherlands and the role of podcasts in public engagement with mortality.

She has received prestigious awards including the NWO Veni Grant (2020) for her work on multicultural deathscapes and multiple teaching awards for innovative modules on climate change, religion, and diversity. Mathijssen actively participates in academic networks, organizing conferences like the IAPR Pre-Conference on Interdisciplinarity and co-hosting the podcast De PodKist.

Her scholarly contributions span academic articles, book chapters, and media engagements, addressing both scholarly and public audiences. She also advises on policy matters related to funeral practices and has contributed to debates on ethical corpse treatment and eco-friendly burial alternatives.