Arie L. Molendijk
Curriculum vitae
Date of birth: 28 June 1957
Place of birth: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
I am married to Hetty Zock, who is a coach and pastoral supervisor (hettyzock.nl) and emeritus professor of Religion and Mental Health at the University of Groningen.
Current Positions
• Professor of History of Christianity, University of Groningen (since 1999)
• Professor of Philosophy of Religion (since 2009)
Previous and Visiting Positions
Previous Positions
• Research Fellow, Interuniversity Institute of Missiology and Ecumenics, Leiden (1985–1986)
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University (1987–1990) — Ph.D. project financed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University (1992–1996) — Postdoctoral project financed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Amsterdam (1996–1997)
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University (1997–2002) — Postdoctoral project financed by the Stimuleringsfonds of Leiden University
Visiting Positions
• Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, working at the Protestant Theological Faculty, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (1993–1994)
• Senior Fellow, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ (January–July 2008)
• Senior Fellow, International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe,” Bochum (May 2010 – May 2011)
• Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), KNAW (2012–2013)
Educational Background
• 1969–1975: Gymnasium B (Marnix Gymnasium, Rotterdam)
• 1975–1985: Theology (doctoraal degree), Leiden University
• 1976–1983: Philosophy (doctoraal degree), Leiden University
• 1991: Ph.D. in Theology, Leiden University
Convener of Conferences
1997a (with Gerrit de Kruijf) Religie her-dacht. De visie van H.J. Adriaanse op de erfenis van het christendom, 25 March, Leiden.
1997b (with Peter Pels) Religion in the Making: The Emergence of the Sciences of Religion, 22–24 May, Amsterdam (Institute Religion & Society).
2000 (with Henri Krop & Hent de Vries) Post-Theism and the Future of Philosophy of Religion (on the occasion of the 60th birthday of Han Adriaanse), 13 April, Leiden.
2002a Workshop Material Christianity, 7–8 March, Groningen.
2002b (with Justin Kroesen & Jan Luth) Workshop Religieuze ruimte (on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Regnerus Steensma), 13 September, Groningen.
2003 (with Jan Bremmer & Wout van Bekkum) Conference Cultures of Conversion, 21–24 May, Groningen.
2004 (with Jan Bremmer) Workshop What Is Religion? What Is the Secular?, 10–11 December, Groningen.
2006 (with Paul Post) Workshop The Decline of Dutch Christianity (guest lecture Peter van Rooden), 13 June, Tilburg.
2007 Expert Meeting Re-inventing Ritual Space in Modern Western Culture, 25–26 October, Groningen.
2008 (with Justin Beaumont) Conference Religion, Politics and the Postsecular City, 12–15 November, Groningen.
2010 (with Paul Post) Symposium Ruimte voor ritueel: Over nieuwe sacrale plaatsen [voorbij het kerkgebouw], Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht, 22 January.
2012a (with Christoph Jedan & Justin Beaumont) Workshop Compassion, Charity and Hope in the Postsecular City, 31 May – 1 June, Groningen.
2012b (with Jo Spaans) Conference Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, 11 June, Utrecht.
2012c (with Christoph Jedan) Symposium Geloof doordacht: Voorbij de propositionele representatie van religie [Beyond the propositional representation of religion] (on the occasion of the retirement of Andy F. Sanders), 22 June, Groningen.
2013 Symposium Beelden van orthodoxie [Images of Orthodoxy], Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, 3 June, Utrecht.
2014 (with Henk van den Belt) Symposium 400 jaar theologie in Groningen [400 Years of Theology in Groningen], Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, 16 June, Groningen.
2022 (with Rick Benjamins) Colloquium 75 Years NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion; book launch Modernity and Transcendence: A Dialogue with Charles Taylor, 11 November, Amsterdam.
2023 (with other board members) XIII. Internationaler Kongress der Ernst-Troeltsch-Gesellschaft: Zusammenbestehbarkeiten. Religion – Kultur – Politik, 23–25 February, Berlin.
2024 (with Christoph Jedan) Farewell Symposium Arie L. Molendijk, Structural Change in Academic Life: Managerialism, Diversity & the Quest for Excellence, 21 June, Groningen.
Professional and General (since 1990)
• Member, Working Group Amnesty International, Munich, 1994
• Member, Working Group Amnesty International, Leiden, 1995–1999
• Member of the Committee on Buddhism, preparing the new curriculum World Religions, Leiden University, 1998–1999
• Chairman of the Department of the History of Christianity, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 1999–2011
• Member of the Curatorium of the Radboud Chair (for the study of Catholic Theology and Philosophy), Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000–2004
• Member of the “Derde Weg” Committee, preparing a new theological curriculum, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2001–2002
• Chairman of the Teaching Committee Religious Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000–2006
• Member of the Steering Committee, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000–2001
• Member of the Committee on Public Relations, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000–2001
• Member of the Committee on the Workload of Faculty Members, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000–2001
• Member of the Bachelor/Master Committee, restructuring the educational programmes of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2002
• Member of the Board of the Interuniversity Institute of Missiology and Ecumenics, Utrecht, 2000–2003
• Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies and the History of Christianity, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2001–2010
• Member of the Advisory Committee on Postdoctoral Grants of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2001–2002
• Member of the Advisory Committee on the Development of a Part-Time Curriculum Religious Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2002–2003
• Member of the Historical Society (Department of History, University of Groningen), 2003–
• Member of various Selection Committees of Ph.D. Students
• Chairman of the Teaching Committee Research Master, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2006–2012
• Member of the Board of the Groningen Research School for the Study of the Humanities, 2003–2010 (Spring 2005: Chair)
• Member of the Selection Committee of the Research Master, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2004–2012
• Vice President of the Ernst-Troeltsch-Gesellschaft, 2005– (http://www.st.evtheol.uni-muenchen.de/troeltsch/etg/index.html)
• Chair/Member of the Centre for Religious Studies, Groningen, 2006–2012
• Editorial Board Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift, 2007–
• Member/Chair Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, 2006–2014
• Member of the Committee Mid-Term Review of the Research of the Department of Theology of Utrecht University, 2008
• Member of the Advisory Committee on Vidi Grants of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2009
• Member of the Board of the Institute for Integration and Social Efficacy (ISW), Groningen, 2009–2012
• Member of the Board of the National Research School for Theology and Religious Studies (NOSTER), 2009–2012
• Member of the Advisory Committee on “Horizon Grants” of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2011–2012
• Member of the Advisory Committee on the programme “Religion in Modern Society” of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2012–2013
• Member of the Advisory Committee on Veni Grants of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2017
• Member of the Committee preparing a “Zwaartekracht” grant application with the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2018–2020
• Member of the Advisory Committee on Vici Grants of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2024–2025