About

Edition project

Saint Titus Brandsma is known and remembered all over the world. Time after time, the Dutch Carmelite Province is asked if the complete works of Titus Brandsma are available. Several texts have been published, and some translations made, but the reliability of these publications has not always been tested. More importantly, only a small selection of the writings has been disseminated. The writings of Titus Brandsma, which are preserved in the Titus Brandsma archives (TBA) of the Dutch Carmelite Institute, include thousands of documents. Through this critical edition, our aim is to make these works accessible for reading and studying.

The writings that are prepared for publication will be presented on this website under the heading ‘writings’. Selections of texts will also be published (on paper) thematically organized, together with relevant introductions and commentaries.

The edition project is a collaborative project between the Titus Brandsma Institute and the Dutch Carmelite Province. The project began in 2014 and it will probably take about 25 years to make every one of Titus’ writings available. The digitalization of the texts (typing, scanning, control) is undertaken by volunteers from the Carmelite Family, under the responsibility of the Dutch Carmelite Province. The Titus Brandsma Institute takes responsibility for publishing the works (i.e. editing texts for publication, providing commentaries and where necessary, eventually providing English translations). The edition project is coordinated by Dr. Anne-Marie Bos.

An advisory board supports the project and provides relevant expertise. Members of this advisory board are: Dr. Charles Caspers (president), Dr. Edison Tinambunan, Prof. Dr. Kees Waaijman.

 

Manner of editing

  1. Regarding different versions of one text:
    • When a text of Titus is published, the edition is based on the official publication.
    • When proof-sheets, manuscripts or typescripts are also known, variations of these texts are mentioned in footnotes, together with the differences between these versions.
    • When a text is published in several media (e.g. in the case of some newspaper articles), one of the texts is presented as the source text and variations to this are mentioned in footnotes.
  2. Variations in punctuation or spelling are not reproduced.
  3. Page numbers of the source text are placed in the text itself, in bold and between brackets: [..]. When the source text has no page number, angle brackets are used (<..>).
  4. Clearly evident typing and/or printing errors are tacitly corrected.
  5. The division of paragraphs within a text is based on the source text. Spelling is not adjusted. The original punctuation is also followed, with the following exceptions:
    • Book titles, whether or not indicated in the source text, are presented in italics.
    • Double quotation marks are reserved for direct speech and quotes. In other instances, single quotation marks are used.
    • Texts in italics or in bold are presented as such.
    • Words in capital letters, in small caps or spaced words in the source texts are presented in italics or in bold.
  6. Minor corrections made by Brandsma himself are accepted without a commentary. Major corrections which Brandsma made himself are supported by a commentary in a footnote.
  7. Footnotes which are from the original source texts are presented as footnotes, marked with [TB].

 

Translations

In presenting Titus Brandsma’s translations on this website, our aim is to do so in a manner which respects the original writings of Titus himself.