PThU Events
- Online book launch 'Doing Research in Practical Theology'On 23 January, Prof Dr Mirella Klomp and Prof Dr Jos de Kock will present their book "Doing Research in Practical Theology". The online presentation will be given in English and is chaired by prof. HyeRan Kim-Cragg (University of Toronto).
- Farewell symposium for Prof Heleen Zorgdrager: Activist Theology. Resilient Bodies in SolidarityFor Heleen Zorgdrager, theology and activism have always been intertwined, ever since her student days. She practiced activist theology in gender studies, in her long-standing relationships with churches and communities in the former Eastern Bloc and especially in Ukraine, but also close by, for instance in the debate on reception of asylum seekers in her hometown. This farewell symposium explores together with her and three speakers the distinct character of theological activism, with solidarity and resilience as guiding themes.
- Dies 2026 and farewell lecture Prof Dr Heleen ZorgdragerOn 27 January 2026 the PThU will celebrate its dies natalis. During the ceremony, Prof Dr Heleen Zorgdrager, Professor of Systematic Theology and Gender Studies, will deliver her valedictory lecture: “Magnificat: Political Theology and Gender from Paramaribo to Pokrovsk.” The celebration will follow immediately afterwards.
- Book presentation: African Pentecostalism in Catholic BelgiumBasco Bangura will be presenting his book 'African Pentecostalism in Catholic Belgium' on 16 February. The book explores the recent rise of African Pentecostalism and its rejuvenation of the Protestant-Evangelical minority religion in a secular and liberal (Flemish) Belgium.
- Promotion Pierre-Sovann ChaunyOn 17 February, Pierre-Sovann Chauny will be defending his dissertation Entre tradition et modernité. La controverse kénotique dans les écrits christologiques de Charles Gore et de Benjamin B. Warfield et de Charles Gore (Between Tradition and Modernity: The Kenotic Controversy in the Christological Writings of Charles Gore and Benjamin B. Warfield).
- Seminar: Contextual Diaconia - Christian presence for the sake of city-dwellersThis seminar seeks to explore the meaning of diaconia in today’s urban settings by presenting two cases, one from Hong Kong and one from Amsterdam. After the two presentations there will be time to engage in conversation with each other.
- PThU-students in the spotlightsOur students will be appearing on the KRO-NCRV television programme “Petrus in het land” this coming Saturday.
- Promotion Sophia HöffOn 28 April, Sophie Höff will be defending her dissertation on Finding Meaning in the Family Between Givenness and Transcendence: Voices from Theology, Philosophy, and Literature.
- Farewell lecture Henk de RoestProf Dr Henk de Roest bids farewell to the PThU with a lecture entitled: “Choirmaster of the Choir of the Questioners. On theologizing in groups and the role of the minister as theologian." You are warmly invited to attend this farewell lecture! An English translation will be made available.
- Summer School: Divine Leadership?! Politics, Spirituality and the BibleThe course focuses on the question “How do people in diverse communities use the Bible in relationship to establish, critique or conceive of leadership within and from Christian communities?”
- IRTI Summer School 2026: Being Reformed in the 21st CenturyThe twenty-first century brings with it all manner of challenges, some of which we have encountered before, others which are new. In virtually every corner of the world, a tidal wave of change has, as it were, swept through, overturning the previous consensus. Politics, the economy, the digital world and the environment are specific themes that affect us all to varying degrees. The International Summer School of Theology 2026 explores what the Reformed tradition in particular has to offer the world in the search for ways to address these issues.
- European Bibliodrama Workshops 2026: Consider your calling! Welcome to the Netherlands for the Annual European Bibliodrama Workshops 2026. From 18 to 22 August, it offers a vibrant program around different vocation stories and texts on calling. The symposium will be of interest to anyone participating in the European Bibliodrama Workshop (EBW), especially those with a professional theological background and training in exegesis as part of their education. With this offer, the Dutch EBW team is pitching in with EBN's mission to make sure that Bibliodrama practitioners keep on growing professionally.
- Symposium: Encountering the Bible through Bibliodrama and Exegesis This symposium will present the findings of research that explores the relationship between Biblical Studies (“exegesis”) and Bibliodrama, offering a novel perspective on the subject.
- Opening of the Academic Year 2026. Festive opening of the JanskerkOn Monday 31 August 2026, the Protestant Theological University will open the new academic year in the refurbished Janskerk in Utrecht. Together with the Janskerk congregation, we will celebrate the reopening of this special place where history, church, theology and academia come together. Following our move into the premises at Jansdam 14 last year, the PThU’s new, fully integrated single location in Utrecht is now a reality.
- PThU Introduction Day for new studentsNew theology students at the PThU: kick off the academic year with the PThU Introduction Day 2026! You are warmly invited to join us on 2 September to get to know your lecturers, your fellow students, and the beautiful city of Utrecht. Expect a day filled with inspiring talks, city walks, and opportunities to connect with others. Join us and register!
- 41st International Barth Conference: “Theologische Existenz Heute” – TodayIt has been over ninety years since Karl Barth introduced the term “theological existence” — a wholehearted, embodied commitment of every theologian to God Himself and to the divine Word. This idea, central to Barth’s work, now forms the focus of the 41st International Barth Conference: “Theologische Existenz Heute” – Today.
