Titus Brandsma Instituut

What Titus Brandsma Instituut does

The Titus Brandsma Instituut (TBI) is a Dutch non-profit academic research institute founded in 1968 and operating as an organizational unit of Radboud Universiteit in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Its mission is to study the role of mysticism, the church, and spirituality in society, examining how people across different traditions and historical periods give form and content to their spiritual quest. The institute employs approximately 45 staff and researchers based at Houtlaan 4 in the Erasmusgebouw on the Radboud campus. Its portfolio combines scholarly research, formation-based education, and public-facing programming.

TBI's core offerings span four product categories: the peer-reviewed academic journal Studies in Spirituality, which publishes scholarship on mysticism and religious studies; the Leergang Geestelijke Begeleiding, a structured educational program in spiritual guidance and pastoral counseling; the annual Studieweek Mystiek, a four-day summer study week on a chosen mystical theme (the 2026 edition focused on Nicolaas van Cusa and drew over 100 participants); and a recurring calendar of masterclasses, lectures, studiedagen, and symposia on topics ranging from Simone Weil to Hildegard von Bingen. The institute also convenes targeted symposia in collaboration with external partners such as Platform Ignatiaanse Spiritualiteit and KU Leuven. There is no software, API, or AI component to its offerings.

As an embedded unit of a public research university, TBI does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its funding flows are not publicly disclosed but are presumed to derive from Radboud University budget allocations, supplemented by donations (the website surfaces "Doneren" and "Nalaten" giving pathways) and modest program-related fees. Distribution is heavily in-person and regional, anchored on the Nijmegen campus, with outreach supported by a monthly email newsletter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The customer base comprises individuals on spiritual quests, researchers and academics in spirituality studies, professional spiritual counselors, and a broader Dutch-speaking public interested in mysticism and religious culture.

Name

Titus Brandsma Instituut

Legal name

Titus Brandsma Instituut

Website

https://titusbrandsmainstituut.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Education and Research

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG)

Keywords

• Mysticism research
• Spiritual education
• Religious studies
• Spiritual guidance
• Academic publishing

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Titus Brandsma Instituut researches the role of mysticism, the church, and spirituality in society, examining how people give form and content to their spiritual quest across different traditions and throughout history. It delivers academic research, the journal Studies in Spirituality, a structured spiritual guidance program (Leergang Geestelijke Begeleiding), an annual summer Studieweek Mystiek, and recurring masterclasses, lectures, and study days for individuals, professionals, and the general public.

Product overview

The Titus Brandsma Instituut is an academic research institute at Radboud Universiteit that does not offer a unified software product, but rather provides a portfolio of educational and research services. Its offerings include the academic journal Studies in Spirituality, the Leergang Geestelijke Begeleiding (spiritual guidance program), the annual Studieweek Mystiek (Mysticism Study Week), and various masterclasses, lectures, and study days. These services focus on the study of mysticism, church history, and spirituality in society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studies in Spirituality An academic journal published by the institute covering topics on spirituality, mysticism, and religious studies, aimed at researchers, scholars, and graduate students in the field.
• Leergang Geestelijke Begeleiding A structured educational program (leergang / learning trajectory) focused on spiritual guidance and pastoral counseling, designed for professionals and individuals seeking formation in geestelijke begeleiding.
• Studieweek Mystiek (Annual Mysticism Study Week) An annual four-day summer study week organized by the institute, where participants deepen their knowledge of a selected theme in mysticism through lectures and immersive study.
• Masterclasses, Lectures, and Study Days One-time or recurring educational activities including masterclasses, lectures, and study days (studiedagen) on topics of mysticism, spirituality, and religious culture, open to professionals and the general public.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Platform Ignatiaanse SpiritualiteitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative partnership for organizing symposia for spiritual counselors (geestelijk begeleiders). Following a successful first edition in Nijmegen, the TBI and Platform Ignatiaanse Spiritualiteit partnered again with KU Leuven to host a repeat symposium.
• KU LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Academic partnership with KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) for co-organizing symposia on spiritual guidance topics, alongside Platform Ignatiaanse Spiritualiteit. The collaboration builds on successful earlier events in Nijmegen.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tilburg University - School of Catholic Theology: Dutch university school focused on Catholic theology and religious studies; offers comparable graduate-level theology and pastoral formation programs to a similar Dutch-language audience.
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - Faculty of Religion and Theology: Major Dutch university faculty conducting research and teaching in theology, spirituality and religion, offering parallel formation and scholarly outputs to TBI's audience.
• KU Leuven - Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies: Belgian Catholic university faculty in theology and religious studies; already a TBI partner for symposia and operates overlapping academic theology and spiritual guidance programs in the same Benelux market.
• University of Groningen - Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies: Dutch university faculty covering theology and religious studies, providing an alternative academic hub for spirituality research and formation in the Netherlands.
• Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation: Non-profit organization offering programs in spiritual direction and contemplative formation; operates a similar mission to TBI's Leergang Geestelijke Begeleiding but in a primarily North American context.
• Spiritual Directors International: International learning community for spiritual directors; competes for the same audience of professional spiritual counselors and guides that TBI targets through its leergang and Ignatian symposia.
• Loyola University Chicago - Institute of Pastoral Studies: Jesuit university institute offering formation programs in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling, directly comparable to TBI's spiritual guidance formation offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Theological Union: Larger Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Chicago; broader theology and ministry portfolio overlapping with TBI's niche on spiritual guidance.
• Boston College - School of Theology and Ministry: Jesuit-affiliated graduate school offering theology and ministerial formation, including spiritual direction tracks, providing a broader alternative for international students in this niche.

Emerging players

• Center for Contemplative Mind in Society: Non-profit promoting contemplative practice and spirituality in secular contexts; overlaps with TBI's research and public engagement on spirituality in contemporary society.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/titusbrandsmainstituut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/747938

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Titus Brandsma Instituut