JAAPJE. Digital Edition

JAAPJE — Digital Edition

The boy who outlived his faith.

What happens when the beliefs given to you as a child no longer survive the questions you begin to ask?

JAAPJE is Jacob Van Der Land’s deeply personal journey from a childhood shaped by strict Christian belief to a life increasingly guided by questioning, evidence and reason.

Beginning with Jaapje, a young boy growing up in the Netherlands, the story follows him through migration to Canada, adulthood, marriage, family and the gradual intellectual struggle that would eventually transform his understanding of religion and of himself. The faith of his childhood was not casually discarded; it was deeply embedded, and leaving it behind became a long and sometimes painful journey.

Along the way, Jacob looks back with humour, affection and occasional anger at the people, churches and experiences that shaped him. He asks why we believe what we believe, why childhood teachings can remain so powerful throughout our lives, and what happens when inherited certainty collides with evidence and an enquiring mind.

This is not simply a book about losing faith. It is the story of one man’s lifetime of questioning, changing and learning — and of discovering that changing your mind does not mean abandoning your past.

From Jaapje in Holland, through Jake in Canada, to Jacob in Australia, it is ultimately the story of becoming the person he chose to be.

A personal journey from belief to reason, told with candour, humour and a lifetime of experience.

By Jacob Van Der Land, with Chatty

Digital Edition — A$9.95