Date of Birth: June 28, 1957
Place of Birth: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
I am married with Hetty Zock, who is professor of Religion and Mental Health at the University of Groningen.
Current, Previous and Visiting Positions
Current Position
• Professor of the History of Christianity, University of Groningen, since 1999
• Professor of Philosophy of Religion, since 2009
Previous Positions
• Research Fellow at the Interuniversitary Institute of Missiology and Oecumenics, Leiden, 1985-1986
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University, 1987-1990 (Ph.D. project financed by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research, N.W.O.)
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University, 1992-1996 (Post-Doc project financed by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research, N.W.O.)
• Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Amsterdam, 1996-1997
• Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology, Leiden University, 1997-2002 (Post-Doc project financed by the ‚Stimuleringsfonds’ of Leiden University)
Visiting Positions
• Stipend of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, working at the Protestant Theological Faculty of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, 1993-1994
• Senior Fellow of the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, N.J., January-July 2008
• Senior fellow at the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe” in Bochum, May 2010 – May 2011
• Fellow at the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Study (NIAS), KNAW, 2012-2013
Educational Background
1969-1975: Gymnasium B (Marnix Gymnasium, Rotterdam)
1976-1983: Philosophy (‚doctoraal’), University of Leiden
1975-1985: Theology (‚doctoraal’), University of Leiden
1991: Ph.D Theology, University of Leiden
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, Groningen, 25-26 October.
2008 (with Justin Beaumont) conference “Religion, Politics and the Postsecular City”, Groningen, 12-15 November
2010 (with Paul Post) Symposium ‘Ruimte voor ritueel. Over nieuwe sacrale plaatsen [voorbij het kerkgebouw]’, Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht, 22 January
2012 (with Christoph Jedan & Justin Beaumont) workshop “Compassion, Charity and Hope in the Postsecular City”, Groningen, 31 May – 1 June.
2012 (with Jo Spaans) Conference Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, Utrecht, 11 June.
2012 (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, Groningen, 22 June.
2013 Symposium „Beelden van Orthodoxie“ [Images of Orthodoxy], Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, Utrecht, 3 June.
2014 (with Henk van den Belt) Symposium “400 jaar theologie in Groningen [400 Years of Theology in Groningen], Kerkhistorisch Gezelschap, Groningen, 16 June.
Professional and General (since 1990)
• Member Work Group Amnesty International, Munich, 1994
• Member Work Group Amnesty International, Leiden, 1995-1999
• Member of the Committee on Buddhism, preparing the new curriculum World Religions, University of Leiden, 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 Working Load of Faculty Members, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2000-2001
• Member of the Committee Bachelor/Master, restructuring the educational programmes of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, 2002
• Member of the Board of the Interuniversitary Institute of Missiology and Oecumenics, 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 Post-Doc Grants of the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (N.W.O.), 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 Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (N.W.O.), 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 Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (N.W.O.), 2011-2012
• Member of the Advisory Committee on the programme ‚Religion in Modern Society’ of the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (N.W.O.), 2012-2013
• Member of the Advisory Committee on Veni Grants of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2017
• Member of the Committee that prepares a ‚Zwaartegrant’ grant with the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 2018-2020