After fifteen years of work, Professor Van Geest presented his encyclopedia to the Pope

It was impressive, says church historian and professor Paul van Geest (ESPhil) about his meeting with Pope Francis. Two weeks ago, he handed over the first copy of the Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity to the leader of the Catholic Church. The six-volume encyclopedia is an extensive academic reference work dedicated to the study of early Christianity, which Van Geest worked on for fifteen years together with two colleagues.

Along with theologians David Hunter and Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, Van Geest was responsible for compiling and editing the work. The scope of the project was enormous: a total of 650 authors contributed to the encyclopedia, which spans six thousand pages.

Thanks to the many delays by the Dutch Railways, he managed to finish the work, he jokes.“Of course, this was a project that ran alongside regular work.So yes, you’d always be working on it in your spare hours, at night or on the train”, he says with a laugh. “The longer the delays, the more time I had to work.”

In February, the end of the project was in sight. That’s when Van Geest contacted the papal ambassador to ask whether they could present the encyclopedia to the Pope. “And because it’s such a prestigious and extensive project, he immediately said: ‘I’ll do my best for you’”, Van Geest explains. “We especially have to thank Paul Tschang-In-Nam, a South Korean cleric and archbishop. He arranged for us to present the work to the Pope as a group.”

By ‘the whole group’, Van Geest is referring to the fifteen editorial members who worked on the encyclopedia. “You have to remember that this project was a whole organisation. Without them, it would never have succeeded”, says the professor.

How does a meeting with the Pope unfold? “You’re first placed in line for the general audience. Then you’re collected, and your group is placed in a large room. That’s where the Pope comes by”, Van Geest explains.

It was a wonderful experience, and the Pope really took his time, he recalls. “I handed him volume one first. Bert Jan gave him volume two, then David presented volume three. After that came volumes four, five, and six. He was handed each volume in turn”, he laughs. “Then he asked, ‘They look very interesting. Why did you do this?’ At the end, everyone was allowed to shake his hand.” Van Geest’s voice is filled with enthusiasm. “It’s also because the Pope is a very authentic and sincere man. He walked in and really listened to what you had to say. You’d love to have such a kind grandfather.

The goal of this publication is to share knowledge. “Look, we’re never going to be in the top 100 best-selling books of all time, but it remains a reference work. If you want to start a PhD on – let’s say – Cassiodorus, you’d start with the Brill Encyclopedia, because that’s where you’ll find the latest information.”

Is he already working on the next project? “Well, I’m taking it slow currently”, says Van Geest. “I’ve been spending whole days in the garden: mowing the grass, picking cranberries. Enjoying nature to clear my mind.”