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Staff members with discipline Religion

Academia develops at the interface of different fields. This is one reason why the University of Groningen is home to a wide range of fields, each with a great number of subject specialists. The overview below, which is based on a standard categorization of fields, will help you find the right expert for each field. If you cannot find the expert you are looking for in this list, try searching via a related field or faculty; you may find him or her there.

Overview of all disciplines

Dead Sea Scrolls; Ancient History of the Near East; Ancient Judaism
A.W. (Ayhan) Aksu, Dr
Contact
a.w.aksu rug.nl
Function
Postdoctoral Researcher
Field / Discipline
G. (Gorazd) Andrejc, PhD
Contact
g.andrejc rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor in Philosophy of Religion
Field / Discipline
A.F. (Arjen) Bakker, PhD
Contact
a.f.bakker rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism
I provide the lectures in professional didactics in philosophy of life and religion in the educational minor and in the master teacher preparatory higher education (LVHO). I also supervise students in their internships in primary & secondary education and supervise master students in their educational research (Lesson Study).
J.M. (Han) Bakker, MA
Contact
han.bakker rug.nl
*31 619 2670 99
Function
subject teacher religion & philosophy of life, tutor
My expertise is situated in the intersections of care and religious diversity, with a strong focus on gender, sexuality and the dynamics of religion and secularity.

My research projects include research on Christianity and Pentecostalism, secularity, ethics, NGOs and faith based organisations, health and prevention, youth care, education and foster care, international development, gender based violence, female leadership, women's agency and empowerment, sexuality education and sexual health programming, polarization and sexual nationalism. 

I apply qualitative research methods, and have a particular interest in ethnographic and participatory research and creative (art-based) methodologies. 

I have conducted research in and on The Netherlands and broader Western Europe, and in Sub Sahara Africa: Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa

My work is always situated on the intersections of science and society and I have ample experience with knowledge valorisation, societal impact and applied research. In this I have a particular interest in how sound academic knowledge can empower and support marginalized people and communities.

Students who want to write their thesis on one of the themes mentioned above  in relation to religion/ secularity and are interested in applying qualitative research methods may contact me.



 
dr. B.E. (Brenda) Bartelink
Contact
b.e.bartelink rug.nl
Function
Senior researcher / Assistant Professor
Greek, Roman, Early Christian and Contemporary Religion; History of Scholarship
prof. dr. J.N. (Jan) - Bremmer
Contact
j.n.bremmer rug.nl
+31 50 526 2503
Function
Emeritus Professor of Science of Religion and Comparative Religious Studies
Field / Discipline
Anthropology of Islam, everyday religion, pilgrimage studies,  migration & Identity, Muslims in diaspora, Dialogical Self Theory, biographical Research
prof. dr. M.W. (Marjo) Buitelaar
Contact
m.w.buitelaar rug.nl
+31 50 36 35570
Function
Professor of Contemporary Islam
Field / Discipline
M. (Manoela) Carpenedo Rodrigues, PhD
Contact
m.carpenedo.rodrigues rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor and Marie Curie Fellow
Field / Discipline
Premodern and Early Modern Iberian Peninsula, Islam, Religious Minorities, Muslim-Christian-Jewish Polemics, Arabic and Aljamiado Manuscripts, Literary and Cultural production of Muslims in Christian Spain (Mudejars and Moriscos), and al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia)
prof. dr. M. (Mònica) Colominas Aparicio
Contact
m.colominas.aparicio rug.nl
Function
VENI Researcher, Rosalind Franklin Fellow
L.R. (Linde) Draaisma, MA
Contact
l.r.draaisma rug.nl
Function
PhD candidate
K.A. (Kim) Fowler, MA PhD
Contact
k.a.fowler rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor of New Testament
Field / Discipline
As a researcher, my primary interest is the modern history of Jewish communities in the Islamic world and their responses to modernity. From a methodological standpoint I consider myself a historian, and as such the majority of my research is based on archival material and historic press in English, French, Arabic, and Hebrew, dating from the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. My current research rethinks the connection between transnational solidarity organizations and empire. The focus is on the centrality and agency of non-European elites, thereby challenging assumptions about the center and the periphery within colonial networks.
S.R. (Sasha) Goldstein, PhD
Contact
s.r.goldstein rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
Field / Discipline
Cultural History of the Middle Ages; Liturgy and Ritual; Manuscript Studies. Areas of Specialization: Medieval Liturgy (History, Theology, Practice); Codicology; the Distichs of Cato. Areas of Competence: Material Culture Theory; Critical Heritage Studies; Art, Museums, and Religion;  Digital Text Editing
A.J.M. (Andrew) Irving, Dr
Contact
a.j.m.irving rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor of Religion and Heritage
History of ideas, interaction religion - philosophy; practical philosophy (ethics, political philosophy); history of death, dying and bereavement; history of grief therapy; heritage and cemetery studies
C. (Christoph) Jedan, Prof Dr
Contact
c.jedan rug.nl
+31 50 36 38017
Function
Professor of Ethics and Comparative Philosophy of Religion
Field / Discipline
History of religion & politics; history of Europe in the twentieth century, especially France; human rights; modern & contemporary Christianity, especially dissident forms of Catholicism and Protestantism
R.M. (Rachel) Johnston-White, PhD
Contact
r.m.johnston-white rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor of Contemporary History
Kim Knibbe is Associate Professor Anthropology and Sociology of Religion. She has recently completed the project "Sexuality, Religion and Secularism" with Rachel Spronk (funded by NWO). She is now developing new research on pregnancy. Previous research focused on Catholicism and spirituality in the Netherlands and on Nigerian Pentecostalism in Europe and the Netherlands. She has also published a series of theoretical and methodological reflections on studying religion. For students: I only accept supervision of projects that employ qualitative research methods. I particularly welcome students who wish to do research on contemporary spirituality, Catholicism or Pentecostalism related to questions of work and/or gender/sexuality/pregnancy and birth.
dr. K.E. (Kim) Knibbe
Contact
k.e.knibbe rug.nl
+31 50 36 34585
Function
Associate Professor Sociology and Anthropology of Religion
Field / Discipline
F.K. (Fryderyk) Kwiatkowski, MA
Contact
f.kwiatkowski rug.nl
Function
PhD student
 * Ancient Curse Tablets and the New Testament
    (literary, religio- and culture-historical approaches) 
 * Speech-ethics in the New Testament and the ancient context   
 * Theory of History and Historiography in Antiquity and New Testament   
 * Miracle stories in early Christianity (miracles of Jesus and
    the apostles in canonical and apocryphal gospels and acts)  
 * Hermeneutics, Biblehermeneutics  
 * Texts: Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of John, Letter of
    James and New Testament Apocrypha (gospels and acts)
S.K. (Susanne) Luther, Prof. Dr.
Contact
s.k.luther rug.nl
+31 50 36 35584
Function
Visiting Professor
Field / Discipline
Sociology of religion, secularism, governance of religious diversity, cities, governance networks, public institutions, contempotary Jewish communities, non-religion, apostasy
J. (Julia) Martínez-Ariño, Dr
Contact
j.martinez.arino rug.nl
+31 50 36 35592
Function
Assistant Professor of Sociology of Religion
Field / Discipline
Pilgrimage studies, Religious Tourism, Local Policy
A. (Anwar) Masduki, M
Contact
a.anwar.masduki rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Eastern Roman Empire, Provincial administration, Hellenistic-Roman Judaea (society and life), Hasmonean Revolt and Rule, Jewish Wars against Rome, Judaean expatriate communities (Diaspora), works of Flavius Josephus, ancient historiography and rhetoric, Jewish-Christian (and -Roman) relations to the emperor Julian.
prof. dr. S.N. (Steve) Mason
Contact
s.mason rug.nl
Function
Em. Distinguished Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions and Cultures
Field / Discipline
Death Studies, Ritual Studies, Psychology of Religion, Geography of Religion
dr. B.M.H.P. (Brenda) Mathijssen
Contact
brenda.mathijssen rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor; Interim Vice Dean and Director of Education
Field / Discipline
History of Nineteenth- & Twentieth-century German and Dutch Theology and Religious Studies; Ernst Troeltsch (1865-1923); History of Liberal Protestantism; Religion & Society; Material Christianity; Religion in the Public Domain
prof. dr. A.L. (Arie) Molendijk
Contact
a.l.molendijk rug.nl
+31 50 36 35580
Function
Professor of the History of Christianity; Professor of the Philosophy of Religion
Field / Discipline
Middle East
Conflicts, terrorism, jihadism
Religion and violence
Media and propaganda
dr. P.G.T. (Pieter) Nanninga
Contact
p.g.t.nanninga rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor Middle Eastern Studies
Field / Discipline
Hagiography; History of Christian knowledge (1300-1725); History of Christian spirituality and mysticism; Catholic Reformation.
G.J. (Gooitske) Nijboer
Contact
g.j.nijboer rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Jewish Studies; Midrash; Culture and Cognition; Cognitive Science of religion; Cultural study of Emotions
dr. R. (Ronit) Nikolsky
Contact
r.nikolsky rug.nl
+31 50 36 37255
Function
Assistant Professor Culture and Cognition
Old Testament - Book of Joshua - Hermeneutics - Archaeology of Palestine- History of reception
prof. dr. E. (Ed) Noort
Contact
e.noort rug.nl
+31 6 1398 9585
Function
Professor em. of Ancient Hebrew Literature and the History of Religion of Ancient Israel
Field / Discipline
Liability law; rent law; religion & law, in particular on the verge of religious communion and private law 
prof. mr. dr. F.T. (Fokko) Oldenhuis
Contact
f.t.oldenhuis rug.nl
+31 50 36 35767
Function
Professor by religion & law
Field / Discipline
Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, Artificial Intelligence and palaeography, Judaism in the Graeco-Roman period, archaeology, ancient sciences, astrology, physiognomics and magic

see also http://www.rug.nl/news-and-events/people-perspectives/inbeeld/mpopovic

prof. dr. M. (Mladen) Popovic
Contact
m.popovic rug.nl
Function
Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
Manuscript Studies; Book Studies; Monasticism. Areas of specialisation: Codicology; Palaeography; Bookbinding Studies; Patristics; Patrology.
N. (Nick) Pouls, MA
Contact
n.pouls rug.nl
Function
PhD student
New Testament and Early Christianity
Nag Hammadi codices and Gnosticism 
Early Christian Apocrypha
Religion and Philosophy in Late Antiquity
Plutarch of Chaeronea
F.L. (Lautaro) Roig Lanzillotta, Prof Dr
Contact
f.l.roig.lanzillotta rug.nl
Function
Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies
Field / Discipline
I am a historian of the Modern Middle East. My research and teaching interests include Christian Arab communities of and in the Middle East Middle East, a relational cultural and social history of Ottoman and Mandate Palestine, and minorities in/ diaspora from the Middle East. I am particularly interested in engaging with multilateral transnational connections, still understudied in favour of national historiographies and periodisation.
K.M.J. (Karène) Sanchez-Summerer, Prof Dr
Contact
karene.sanchez rug.nl
Function
Professor and Chair Middle Eastern studies
Field / Discipline
place attachment, spiritual and cultural tourism, well-being, spiritualities and sacred sites in Japan, critical research methods
J.B.I. (Januschka) Schmidt, MA
Contact
j.schmidt rug.nl
Function
PhD Student
Working in international and interdisciplinary scholarly teams and networks; experience in leading groups inside and outside the university; experience in publishing professional journals and book series; commitment to teaching.

Scholarly focus of interest:
European cultural history from antiquity through today, with a focus on religion in diverse cultural settings; Diversity of knowledge systems; Method and theory in the study of religion; Discursive study of religion; Esoteric discourses in European culture, with special emphasis on astrology and kabbalah; Religion, philosophy, and nature; Religion and secularity
C.K.M. (Kocku) von Stuckrad, Prof Dr
Contact
c.k.m.von.stuckrad rug.nl
Function
Professor of Religious Studies
Comparative Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Philosophy 
J. (Javad) Taheri, MA
Contact
j.taheri rug.nl
Function
Field / Discipline
Religion, Conflict, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation; Religion and Politics; Religion and Human Security; Climate Change, Conflict, Peace and Security; Community Development; Civil Society and Social Movements; 
J. (Joram) Tarusarira, Dr
Contact
j.tarusarira rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding
Sociology of Religion
dr. S.J. (Sipco) Vellenga
Contact
s.j.vellenga rug.nl
Function
Em. Lecturer Sociology of Religion
Field / Discipline
Religiestudies, geschiedenis van de westerse esoterie
drs. K.A. (Klaran) Visscher
Contact
k.a.visscher rug.nl
+31 50 36 35002
Function
Head of User Services
Field / Discipline
Religion and popular culture; ritual studies; fan studies; digital ethnography; cultural heritage.
W.F. (Welmoed) Wagenaar, MA
Contact
w.f.wagenaar rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Cultural and Intellectual History of Modern Germany and Europe; Transnational History of Religion and Secularism; History of modern worldviews.
T.H. (Todd) Weir, Prof Dr
Contact
t.h.weir rug.nl
Function
Associate Professor History of Christianity and Modern Culture
Field / Discipline
Secularism, the Secular, Sexuality, Gender, New forms of religiosity, Materiality, Western Buddhism Publications:

Schrijvers, L. L., & Wiering, J. (2018). Religious/secular discourses and practices of good sex.  Culture and Religion , 1-21.

 
Wiering, J. (2017). There is a Sexular Body: Introducing a Material Approach to the Secular. Secularism and Nonreligion, 6 (8). http://doi.org/10.5334/snr.78

Wiering, J. (2016). “Others Think I am Airy-fairy”: Practicing Navayana Buddhism in a Dutch Secular Climate. Contemporary Buddhism, 17(2), 369-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2016.1234751
dr. J.O. (Jelle) Wiering
Contact
j.o.wiering rug.nl
Function
postdoctoral researcher
Religion and diplomacy, secularism, refugees and forced migration, human rights, development, global justice, globalization, climate change
E.K. (Erin) Wilson, Prof Dr
Contact
e.k.wilson rug.nl
Function
Professor of Politics and Religion; Vice Dean and Director of Education
Relational Psychoanalysis; Identity Theory; Art, I magination and Religion; Spiritual Care
prof. dr. T.H. (Hetty) Zock
Contact
t.h.zock rug.nl
+31 50 36 35245
Function
Professor of Religion and Mental Health, in particular in the domain of Spiritual Care (Special chair of the KSGV, Study Centre for Religion and Mental Health, sponsored by the VVP, Association of Dutch Liberal Protestants)
Field / Discipline
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