PThU News
- Church and slavery research project receives major NWO grantThe research project into church and slavery of, among others, the PThU, is to receive a grant of € 750,000. The Dutch organisation for scientific research NWO confirmed this on 14 July. The research examines the role of the Protestant church in the Dutch colonial history of slavery. The NWO calls the research of enormous value for the current social debate.
- PThU strengthens education and research with four new appointmentsThe Protestant Theological University (PThU) has appointed two professors, an associate professor and an assistant professor. These are Dr. A. Huijgen as Professor of Dogmatics, Dr. L. Nelstrop as Professor of Church History, Dr. A. Goudriaan as Associate Professor of Church History and Dr. P.J. van Egmond as assistant professor of Church History. The synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands approved the appointments of the two professors on Saturday 2 July. The two other appointments had already been approved in the small synod.
- Theology under the conditions of the present worldIn the western world our current situation is labelled as post-modern, post-christian and post-secular. Even though these terms can be contested, they pose the question what it means to do theology under the conditions of our present day’s world. How to engage with the Bible and classical forms of theology and how to make them productive again? Our seminars for the new season deal with these questions.
- David VanDrunen to start as research fellowDr. David VanDrunen will stay at the PThU from May 28 to June 25, 2022 as a senior Research Fellow. Dr. VanDrunen is Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California Seminary (USA).
- Janel Kragt-Bakker starts as senior research fellowDr. Janel Kragt-Bakker will stay as a senior Research Fellow at the PThU in Groningen from 9 May to 17 June 2022. Dr. Kragt-Bakker is associate professor of mission and culture at Memphis Theological Seminary (USA).
- Marnus Havenga is new research fellowDr. Marnus Havenga will stay at the PThU in Amsterdam from 9 May to 9 June 2022 as a junior research fellow. Dr. Havenga is a postdoctoral research fellow and 'contract lecturer' at the Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology of the theological faculty of Stellenbosch University (South Africa).
- General Synod confirms the decision of the PThU to choose Utrecht as its new locationOn Thursday 21 April, the general synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands approved the intention of the Executive Board of the Protestant Theological University (PThU) to move this university to Utrecht.
- PThU appoints two new professors and an assistant professorThe Protestant Theological University has appointed two new professors and an assistant professor: Dr. E. van 't Slot as professor of Professional Education and Spirituality, Dr. E.P. Schaafsma as Professor of Theological Ethics and Dr. H. Rijken as Assistant Professor of Theology and the Arts. The synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands approved these three appointments on Thursday 21 April.
- Theology in wartime: Christian hope in UkraineFormer PThU student Stanislav Bondar lives and works in western Ukraine. Still lecturing in the middle of the Ukrainian crisis, he writes us how he wrestles with the relevance of theology amid the horrors of war. "What can I, as a theologian, say when artillery and mine-thrower sound?"
- PThU announces intention to choose Utrecht as new locationThe Board of Governors of the Protestant Theological University (PThU) intends to relocate the university to Utrecht.
- Support and compassion for UkraineThe Protestant Theological University has learned with dismay of the brutal invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine.
- PThU welcomes Indonesian PhD studentsGraduate School director dr. Benno van den Toren welcomed nine PhD students of PThU's partner institution Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Theologi (STFT) Jakarta in Groningen yesterday. The students will be attending our university from February till July 2022 for a research stay, on a scholarship from the Indonesian government.
- Dr. Kevin Yuill starts as researcher at PThUFrom October 16 to December 2, 2021, Dr Kevin Yuill, an associate professor at the University of Sunderland in the field of modern American history, will reside at PThU as a Research Fellow. Yuill is a guest as part of the Moral Compass Project (MCP), in particular the section 'The ethics of euthanasia and assisted suicide'.
- PThU to investigate legacies of slavery in the churchThe Protestant Theological University (PThU), in collaboration with several researchers from the VU, is starting the study 'Church slavery history'. The central question of the research is how slavery has played a role in the church.
- Bridging Gaps 2021 takes offAfter two years of waiting, we have finally taken off: at the end of August, students from all over the world started their three-month Bridging Gaps programme in Amsterdam. Because the world is still in the middle of a pandemic, it was unclear if everyone would be able to make the trip to the Netherlands, but since mid-September, the group is all here.
- PThU welcomes Dr. Chris Scharen as research fellowDr. Chris Scharen will be joining PThU as Research Fellow from 4 to 29 October 2021. Dr. Scharen is a specialist in the field of practical theology, in particular ethnographic research. During his stay as a guest researcher, he will work on his research on slavery.
- Opening academic year is end and beginning of an era for PThUWith the departure of inspiring leader Mechteld Jansen on September 3, an era came to an end. At the same time, the PThU stands at the beginning of a hopeful new era with successor Maarten Wisse, who wants to reinvent theology with the PThU. During the opening of the academic year, the departing and starting rector held stimulating speeches.
- PhD defence: Community as MissionBerdine van den Toren-Lekkerkerker will defend her PhD thesis Community as Mission. The Church Mission Society as Gift and Call in an Individualised and Globalised World.
- Research into LGBTI+ inclusivity gives all European churches homeworkHow LGBTI-inclusive are European churches? The Protestant Theological University was asked to investigate that question in 2019 by the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups. Heleen Zorgdrager and Rein Brouwer then looked at the inclusiveness of 46 European churches. Tomorrow they will present the results of their research and a number of "steps forward".
- Prof. Dr. Maarten Wisse appointed new PThU rectorProf. Dr Maarten Wisse will be the new rector of the Protestant Theological University as of the academic year 2021-2022. On Wednesday evening, April 21, the General Synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands expressed agreement on his appointment as rector. Wisse succeeds Prof. Dr. Mechteld Jansen, who held this position for seven years. The transfer of the rectorship will take place on 3 September during the opening of the academic year in Amsterdam.
