PhD candidates Theology

PhD student

J. T.G. Ackermans

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr.  Rudi te Velde

Prof.  dr. Paul Bakker

Domain

Moral Philosophy

Title

Conscience in Catholic Moral Thought

A Comparative Study of Aquinas, Newman, and John Paul II

Summary         

In present-day moral discourse, Catholic thought on conscience seems not to play a significant role, although its integral view on personhood and individual moral life can be of much added value to this topic. Exploring the concept of conscience within Catholic moral thought helps to rediscover this continued relevance. Its history on this subject is broad and long; by focusing on three key-thinkers from this tradition we can uncover both the broad strokes of Catholic thought  as well as rediscover viewing points which add new dimensions to present-day moral discourse. Especially the apparent disconnection between individual moral life, the potential for shared moral values, and moral objectivity is given new grounds by this view on the role and workings of personal conscience.

As a ‘point of reference’ within the Catholic tradition, the view of Thomas Aquinas (13th century) on conscience – as practical judgement placed within an integral view on the human person – is also in this research used as reference point. Throughout history, his views where further elaborated on, both in terms of different accents given to the matter at hand as well as a deepening of his thought. One of the key-figures within Catholic thought on conscience, also progressing on this history, was John Henry cardinal Newman (19th century). Proceeding from a personalistic view on conscience and human experience, he regarded individual conscience as the locus of human dignity, individuality, and freedom, while simultaneously viewing conscience as the proof for the existence of God and that ‘inner voice’ through which God speaks to all humans. This thought has been further elaborated on, for example, by pope St. John Paul II (20th century), whose views on conscience will be investigated as the bridge towards 21st century Catholic thought.

PhD student

Dr. H.J. Batt (Herbert)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Co-supervisor(s)

L.H. Westra

Domain

Church History

Title

Augustine's Exegesis of Genesis 1:1-2:4a in the Context of the Patristic Hexameron Tradition

Summary

The purpose of my project is to study the historical development of Augustine's exegesis of the first of the two creation narratives in the book of Genesis, the seven days' creation. I will study Augustine's three major exegetical works in the context of the historical development of the hexameron genre, with special attention to the influence of Philo, Origen and Plotinus. My most intense focus will be on Augustine's greatest exegesis of this passage, his Literal Meaning of Genesis.

I shall analyze Augustine's exegeses of Gen 1:1- 2:4a and their relation to the traditions of allegorical and literal exegesis which preceded him. I shall investigate the influence of Philo and Origen on the allegorical mode of interpretation, which Augustine continues to employ throughout his career. I will also investigate the relevance of Augustine's polemic against the Manichaeans to his commentaries. Of particular interest in the Literal Meaning of Genesis is Augustine's interpretation of "light" with angelic intelligences, and the prominence he gives this conception in his interpretation.

A comparison of Augustine's Literal Meaning with Philo's commentary will raise the question whether Augustine's interpretation can legitimately be seen as a continuation of a of Jewish tradition of allegorical interpretation.

In the Literal Meaning of Genesis Augustine significantly refers to his doctrine of grace and predestination; I shall demonstrate how his innovative reading of the creation narrative in this, the latest of his commentaries, is integrally related to his doctrine of predestination, and to his conception of the eschaton.

PhD student

Drs. W.J.A. Biemans  SJ (Ward)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. J. Loffeld

Prof. dr. M.C.H. van Dijk-Groeneboer

Domain Practical Theology

Title

Pastoral accompaniment of migrant and intercultural couples before and after marriage in the Catholic Church in the Netherlands and Belgium

Summary

The central question of this research is the following: to what extent do the experiences of migrant and intercultural couples who want to marry or are married between 2000 and 2021 in the Catholic church in the Netherlands and Belgium, show a pattern of cultural transition or cultural defence with regard to their integration in the Church community and the society at large?

This research proposal consists of four phases:

1. literature search on the needs and effectiveness of pastoral accompaniment of young Christian couples before and after marriage;
2. survey on the experiences and needs of intercultural and migrant couples who are preparing a marriage in the Catholic church or who have been married after 2000, with questions regarding marriage preparation and pastoral accompaniment, prayer life, dealing with conflicts within their relationship and integration in the local church community;
3. in-depth interviews with migrant and intercultural couples on their experiences of marriage preparation and pastoral accompaniment after marriage, on their integration in the local church community and in the society at large;
4. qualitative research among pastors, including migrant pastors and staff members of dioceses and religious movements, followed by a SWOT-analysis with regard to marriage preparation, pastoral accompaniment and integration of migrant and intercultural couples in the Netherlands. Also in this phase, a reflection will take place on the collected data and the insights from current migration theology and sociological theories on secularization, cultural transition and cultural defence. 

PhD student

drs. L.W.F.P. van den Bogaard (Leo)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

Biblical Sciences

Title

Metaforen en vergelijkigen in Hooglied.  Een onderzoek naar negentien Nederlandse Bijbelvertalingen.

PhD student

B.N.M. Brijan MA (Bernice)

Supervisor(s)

Dr. J.W.G. (Sjaak) Körver (Tilburg University)

Prof. Dr. M. (Matthew) Ratcliffe (University of York)

Domain

Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Psychiatry

Title

Rising Rooted. Personal recovery in light of phenomenology, psychopathology, and the sense of reality and belonging.

Summary

This PhD research is aimed at developing the notion of personal recovery as applied to psychiatric illness. Personal recovery can be understood as an attitude, a stance, and a way of approaching the day's challenges while living with a mental disorder. Coming to terms with the loss that comes with psychiatric illness is central to processes of recovery. Up until now, the centrality of grief and loss has been noted insufficiently due to a main focus on autonomy and empowerment in processes of recovery. It will be suggested that part of the problem is that current models of personal recovery presuppose 'the world'. As a result, alterations that occur in the background structure of experience, which can be understood as existential changes in the sense of reality and belonging to the world, are not taken into account. These existential changes often concern a particular type of loss: a lost sense of feeling 'at home' in the world or feeling connected to the world, as has been reported in many cases of, e.g., schizophrenia and severe depression. These experiences have been addressed in the field of phenomenological psychopathology with the help of the concept of existential feeling. However, from a phenomenological perspective it has been noted insufficiently how these existential changes often also involve grief over the loss that comes with psychiatric illness and, more specifically, how this is integral to the condition. The PhD research therefore aims to bring together these strands of thought. Not only will it then be possible to approach personal recovery from an existential perspective; it also enables to further develop the notion of personal recovery in the context of psychiatric illness. In line with the concept of existential feeling it will be argued that personal recovery in essence should be understood as recovery of hope and trust (in 'the world'). This will be addressed from a philosophical-theological perspective and in close understanding with religious approaches of healing through hope and trust.

PhD student

M.A.J.M. Bronzwaer MA

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. P. Coda (Sophia University, Florence)

Domain

Church History, Systematic Theology and Catholic Social Thought

Title

A theological and anthropological interpretation of the Trinitarian thought of Chiara Lubich and an exploration of its social potential

Summary

Chiara Lubich’s “spirituality of communion” characteristically produces incentives for social involvement, such as the “economy of communion”. This thesis examines the theological and anthropological fundaments for these impetuses. More specifically it explores how these relate to Lubichs understanding of the Trinity and of a "Trinitarian" intersubjectivity. Subsequently, based on the outcomes, a first effort will be made ​​of formulating more specific “how to” tenets for the good life in society.

PhD student

S.P.W. Brouwers

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. A.H.M. van Iersel

Prof. dr. J.B.A.M. Schilderman

Title

Moral distress and human dignity in the Dutch military context. A self- confrontational approach.

Domain

Pastoral Theology

Summary

The Dutch armed forces are deployed to maintain safety in our country and increase peace and freedom abroad. In the military setting soldiers can experience stress on the operational, cultural and political level. This means they face situations where they feel divided between themselves as a person and their role as a military professional.

Since soldiers are ordered to act in a spectrum of violence, naturally this brings them in a conflict of values. Considering the other person as someone who is out to harm you or even kill you, draws a paradoxical human image. For his own safety the soldier will develop a defensive attitude towards other people, especially when their appearance matches with this of the enemy image; ethnical, clothing, beard or language.

After come back from war zone, soldiers should rehabilitate this enemy-image back to the image of human dignity which we like to extend in peace time.

This image of human dignity and experiences of moral distress should be discussed and examined with military personnel after come back from a mission. Out of concern for the health of our soldiers we should work on moral resilience without taking away the issues of moral distress that stay inseparable connected with the operational task.

I see challenges for the chaplaincy of the Dutch forces to work on a ‘moral debrief’ by using a method of value clarification concerning situations of moral distress. With this project I hope to contribute to the guidance of veterans in re-establish their enemy-image to an image that does justice to the human dignity of every person.

PhD student

drs. J.P. van Bruggen (Jan Peter)

Supervisor(s)

Prof.dr. A.H.M. van Iersel

Co supervisors

dr. P.H.J. Olsthoorn

dr. T.P. op den Buijs

Domain

Practical Theology

Title

Moral Responsibility of Dutch soldiers on mission

Summary

PhD student

Drs. E.L.M. Brussee (Eugène)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

Church History

Title

Love and Eucharist in the Work of Augustine

Summary

Augustine appears often with a burning heart in his hand. Love is consequently a very important theme in his works, especially under caritas. Augustine links this love with membership of the Church as the body of Christ, because love is for Augustine the central characteristic of Christ. And membership of the body of Christ has everything to do with living as Christ.

But beside for the Church, Augustine uses the term 'body of Christ' (corpus Christi) also for the Eucharist. That makes clear that Church and Eucharist are inseparable for Augustine. And if Augustine says that you not only should receive the body of Christ but that you also have to be the body of Christ, than he connects that again with love.

So for Augustine unification with Christ has equally to do with Eucharist (corpus Christi) and with love (caritas). Therefore I want to involve these two words on each other. There is written a lot about Eucharist (corpus Christi) at Augustine and also about love (caritas) at Augustine. But the connection between Eucharist (corpus Christi) and love (caritas) is incidental laid in the literature about Augustine. In much literature love as essential feature is connected with the limbs of the body of Christ. With that the relationship is laid between love and the Church. But there is not a direct connection laid between Eucharist and love. In my thesis I want to examine what the connection is between both and what you subsequently can conclude.

PhD student

C.L. Coya-van Duijn (Carmen)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. Marcel Sarot

Co-supervisor

dr.  Anton ten Klooster

Domain

Moral Theology

Title

 A Revolution of Virtues: The Catholic Sources of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Summary

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), a black pastor from the deep south of the United States, used natural law to argue not only civil disobedience but also leverage it in his fight for racial justice from the mid 1950’s until his death on April 4th, 1968. What is odd about his philosophical take on natural law and on virtue ethics is that it goes against the tradition of his Baptist faith. Furthermore, we learn from the transcripts of the Second Vatican Council, by the Council Fathers (while drafting Gaudium et Spes [GS]) that they understood MLK was influenced by Roman Catholic teaching and his theology was not incompatible with Roman Catholic Church. Thus, they incorporated MLK's theology into GS.  Although Dr. King and the movement have benefited from the teachings of the Church and King has been quoted by four popes, there is a lack of scholarship around MLK’s engagement with the Roman Catholic faith. This research will demonstrate how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drew from Roman Catholic teachings on natural law, virtue ethics, as well as other Catholic sources like St Thomas Aquinas. For Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this knowledge was not just to advocate for oppressed blacks but fight evil and lead a revolution of virtues in a spiritual and corporal war for hope, faith, love, and justice.

PhD student

Drs. Juliëtte van Deursen- Vreeburg

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M.C.H. van Dijk

Prof. dr. T.H. Quartier

Domain

Religious Education, Monastic Theology, Spirituality studies

Title

Openness towards the sacred. Contemplative practices in catholic secondary education in the Netherlands

Summary

Because of the complicated situation at catholic schools in the Netherlands (religious diversity and secularization in classrooms and among teachers and staff, little sense of the relevance of the catholic identity of the school), it is difficult for most catholic schools to find practical ways to give expression to the religious identity of the school and to the personal and moral development of the students/ pupils.

In this PhD-research a practical theological model of contemplative spirituality for catholic secondary schools is to be found on which catholic schools can build further on their own specific religious identity in the secular society of the 21st century. The focus will be on practices of contemplative spirituality based on the Christian monastic traditions and how these traditions can inspire and deepen the catholic school identity. The monastic life offers us ‘germ cells’ for practical school identity. Not only for the religious education class or for community rituals, but for all teachers and school subjects.

Research question

In what ways can contemplative (spiritual) practices rooted in the Christian monastic traditions contribute to the religious identity of catholic schools for secondary education in the Netherlands and to the ‘bildung’ of the students?

Method/Approach

Design research

PhD student

Drs. E.B.A. van Deutekom (Eugène)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof.dr. K. Schelkens

Title

Bisschop Bekkers, bisschop van ’s-Hertogenbosch (1908-1966)

PhD student

drs. C.E. Donker (Bert)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof.dr. J. Verheyden

Domain

Biblical Studies

Title

The Simplest Element

A stemmatic approach to the Synoptic Problem

Summary

PhD student

Drs. W.H. van den Dool (Wim)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. A.J. Beck (ETF)

Domain

Historical Theology

Title

The Atonement Doctrine of Anselm of Canterbury in the Second Part of Cur Deus Homo

Summary

In his famous book Cur Deus Homo, Anselm of Canterbury poses the question “Why God became man so that by his death He saved people, when it seems He could have done it in another way?” It has long been assumed that Anselm understood the redemptive incarnation of Christ in terms of the postulates of the 11th century feudal culture. However, in the theological research of the last decades Cur Deus Homo has been seen as a more original monastic exploration on the mercy and goodness of God. Moreover, recent historical philosophical research has revealed that Anselm brought innovation to modal logic and that he formulated his own analysis of concepts like will and freedom. In my research, I will review the modern theological and philosophical research of Cur Deus Homo and use both theological and philosophical interpretative tools. In his emphasis on the unmerited grace and on the will, Anselm is influenced by Augustine. I will analyze the use of such Augustinian themes and of elements of Benedictine spirituality in Cur Deus Homo.

In part II of Cur Deus Homo, Anselm emphasizes that God's action in creation can never be fruitless and that the character of God's gracious act towards man is non-obligatory. Therefore, Anselm analyses the concepts 'necessity', 'can' and 'want' and their interrelationships. Anselm also analyses the relationships between the divine mercy and justice and the acts of God. At the end of part II, Anselm concludes that in the gift of the suffering and dead of Christ ”we have found God’s mercy so great and so well in accordance with justice that it cannot be thought greater and more just”.

The purpose of my research is to analyze how Anselm, using modal logic and elements of patristic theology, argues in part II of Cur Deus Homo that the suffering of Christ is a free, not necessary, gracious gift to man, by which God brings man back to his original purpose.

PhD student

A.R. Espinoza Pereda MA (Andy)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Title

Malachi’s blessings and curses in light of the covenantal blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28-30: A reader-oriented approach.

PhD student

Marcel Ficheroux

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. M.A.M.E. Gielis

Domain

Church History

Title

Het duivelspact in de late middeleeuwen

Summary

A general misconception bases the theory of a pact with the devil on Thomas, who is alleged to be influenced by Augustine. However, a signed treaty, a contractus, is not mentioned in Thomas nor Augustine. The possibility of an active pact is passed down by a few stories, some of them dated back to sacred biographies from the Christian antiquity, others based on oral tradition, that were gathered together with lots of other material in the 13th century-collections of legends and examples. These collections were translated into vernacular languages and spread throughout the whole of Europe. The contents often used in different genres of a later date such as plays and chapbooks or adapted into literary works of a larger size.

The Middle Dutch texts, normally studied by literary scholars, in which stories occur about a pact with the devil, legends and examples as well as plays and chapbooks, will be used as sources for a theological-historical study. The pact, as it can be deduced from these texts, will be compared with the theological communis opinio. How did these texts influence theology? And what were the developments that lead to a pact that could be used as a theological foundation of the witch craze (Malleus maleficarum)  and in which there was no longer mercy for the sinner (Faust)?

PhD student

H.A.J. Gaasbeek (Helen) MA, MTh

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M. Sarot

Co-supervisor

Rev. Dr. M. Ploeger

Domain

Systematic Theology

Title

Maria,  een oud-katholiek perspectief

Summary

PhD student

Toon van Gestel MA

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. A.H.M. van Iersel

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. C.N. de Groot

Domain

Practical Theology

Title

Meaning and reception of the Vatican II Declaration Gravissimum Educationis in The Netherlands (1965-2015)

Summary

• ‘A brief description of the structure of the PhD thesis’,
  The aim of research is to uncover to what actions regarding education Gravissimum Educationis makes an appeal and how these have been appropriated by church leaders and educational agencies in The Netherlands (cf. Wirkungsgeschichte – H.G. Gadamer). After the text genesis has been described, a basically linguistic analysis will be made on the text, implicating a description of its apparently respective meanings as a result of shifting historical contexts. For the contemporary context a surplus of new meanings is envisaged.
• ‘indicating the definition of the problem’,
  The intuition at the basis of this study is that as a source of orientation in Catholic education Gravissimum Educationis  is under-exhausted. The reason for this is the fact that its original reception took place within the context of the removal of traditional religious and socio-political barriers in the Netherlands, which caused the appropriation of this text (as well as of other council texts) to be selective and above all to stagnate.
• the importance of the problem’,
  As regards the research subject it is the text of Gravissimum Educationis. The development of the identity or character of Catholic secondary education in the Netherlands is not the subject of research as such. The investigation focuses more on the potential for vision development in relationship with the normative orientations for upbringing and education. The development of Catholic education in the Netherlands obviously constitutes a relevant context of the investigation, which will also be discussed in the dissertation by means of existing research literature.
• 'and a draft table of contents.’
  The structure of the dissertation is thought of as ‘from context to text’. After developing the research questions the contexts are described. Then follows the description and justification of the method of text analysis used. Next this is applied to Gravissimum Educationis. Finally the results are analyzed from the angle of a potential surplus of meaning. Possible principles and values regarding Catholic education and upbringing can be spotted here.

Chapter/Title

1. Introduction, research questions, Gravissimum Educationis: text genesis
2. From context(s) to text(s): then and now; Method of text analysis: description and justification
3. Gravissimum Educationis: text analysis
4. Results: potential surplus of meaning of Gravissimum Educationis?
5. Discussions

PhD student

G.D.R. Godecharle MA (David)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof. dr. G. van Belle

Domain

Biblical Sciences

Title

The Creative Construction of Christianity in the Fourth Gospel. An intertextual and historical-critical study of John 6

Summary

The author of the Fourth Gospel constructs a creative perspective on Christian identity by the deliberate interaction of literary devices, editorial features and theological themes. In the project, we examine his coherent redaction of divergent Old Testament, (Hellenistic)-Jewish and early-Christian traditions. This 'editorial unity' enables an innovative approach to the issue of Christian identity within the complicated theology of the gospel. We mainly focus on the sixth chapter of the Fourth Gospel as the 'field test' of our hypothesis.

Our research is based on two working hypotheses. First, we argue that the author constructs the thematic elaboration of faith and Christian identity. This means that he designs his theology on the basis of stylistic and literary techniques of his redaction of traditional material. Second, an examination of the construction of Christian identity highlights the creativity of the author. He transforms divergent traditions into a coherent literary and theological unity. His constituent redaction of these traditions (supra) is in turn motivated by the Christological goal of the gospel (20,30-31) and its hermeneutical principle: 'seeing' the doxa of the Son (1,14). This principle underlies his redaction of the synoptic gospels [Van Belle] and of the Old Testament [Hengel]. Consequently, he produces a unique interpretation of Christian identity within the New Testament and contemporary early-Christian literature. The project will mainly focus on the sixth chapter of the gospel, for two reasons. First, this chapter can be considered as a summary of the Fourth Gospel [Beutler]. John 6 presents a condenzation of the main theological and literary issues of the gospel. Consequently, a study of John 6 is undoubtedly representative for the entire Fourth Gospel. Second, the chapter contains a remarkable concentration of issues that pertain directly to the issue of Christian identity: the question of faith [Painter; Schenke], the interpretation of Jesus' semeia [Konings; Labahn], the status and interpretation of the Old Testament [Borgen; Menken], the comparison between Jesus and Moses [Meeks] and the sending of the 'Son' [Bühner]. This range of essential christological, soteriological and eschatological themes in a single chapter is unique to the gospel [Thompson]. On this basis, our study will examine the creative construction of Christian identity in the Fourth Gospel, which is the most spiritual among the gospels [Clement of Alexandria] and the most enigmatic book of the New Testament [Hengel].

PhD student

H.Q.C. Greiwe Can. Reg.

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Co-supervisor 

Dr. K. Panters

Domain

Church History

Title

Die Geschichte des Quirinusklosters zu Neuss am Rhein in Frühmittelalter

Summary

volgt

PhD student

M.H.Q.  Hagens (Quirien)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M.C.H. van Dijk-Groeneboer

Prof. dr.  J. Loffeld

Domain

Practical Theology

Title PhD project:

‘A new way of Christian presence in society’

Subtitle: Religious identity & Roman Catholic education in late-modern context.

Summary

In this thesis new perspectives on the presence of the Catholic Church within late modern society and subsequently on religious education in catholic schools will be investigated from theological, anthropological standpoint.

The current dynamics of late modern society naturally enter into secondary schools as well. In the same vein, the current affairs and developments of the Church do not go unnoticed in the world of education. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly investigate the theological foundations for religious identity and education in Catholic schools and to investigate how to design this education in the most meaningful way so as to correspond to the needs of late modern society.

I will examine in which way theology can contribute to create a new model for religious identity and education in Roman Catholic schools. From an Ignatian perspective, I will examine a theological foundation for this model, which can be useful and applicable in late modern context, within diverse school compositions.

PhD student

Dr. E.A. Hastings (Elizabeth)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. K. Schelkens

Prof. dr. P. de Mey (Leuven)

Domain

Systematic Theology

Title

The Relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church in the International Bilateral Ecumenical Dialogues of the Anglican Communion.

Summary

I shall conduct an historical-theological analysis of the Anglican Communion’s international bilateral dialogues, focusing upon the vital ecumenical issue of the Holy Spirit in relation to the Church. This is a timely topic for investigation, in view of the current impasse in the worldwide ecumenical movement. The issue concerns, inter alia, divisive claims of divine authority for teachings on the Holy Spirit's person and mission, and for various historic forms of ministry, worship, liturgy, the sacraments, and creedal and conciliar decisions. These pneumatological-ecclesiological concerns are central to much of the historic disagreement between the Christian ecclesial traditions.

For the most part, the Anglican international bilateral dialogues date from the 1960s onwards, involving respectively the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Old Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Reformed, and Baptist traditions.  Interactions between these bilaterals and the multilateral work of the World Council of Churches will be taken into account, in order to maintain a sense of the ecumenical movement as an inseparable whole.

The objectives are, first, to analyse the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church in each bilateral, and second, to map Anglican theological and doctrinal positions on the same topic by means of a comparative survey across all the Anglican international bilaterals. This will hopefully contribute to an actively informed reception by the Anglican Communion of its own positions on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Church across the full spectrum of its international bilaterals.

PhD student

A. Heijstek-Hofman MA (Angelique)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M.C.H. van Dijk-Groeneboer

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. M.A.A. van Amelsvoort

Domain

Religious Education

Title PhD project:

Empowering the resilient society: Educating value-oriented citizenship at public secondary schools.

Summary: 

Our society is changing. Individualization is an ongoing process, our society has become more divers and because of globalization and digitalization, new information (whether real or fake) is available within seconds. Opportunities are growing exponentially and therefore life choices as well. These choices are based on values. Values find their roots in religions and non-religious worldviews and form a persons’ deepest identity. Strong values help to make life choices, to estimate information and become more resilient in the rapidly changing world. Education plays a vital role in guiding young people to develop values and make choices that help build a resilient society. Indeed, schools are places where people of different backgrounds come together and where they can learn and discuss important issues in current society.

This value-oriented education should teach about values, about differences between cultures, societies and religions, how to respect and deal with these differences, how to filter the overload of information and how to develop a well-founded opinion and identity, based on core values from religions and non-religious worldviews without excluding anyone. However, on public secondary schools in the Netherlands, there is very little value-oriented education about identity, values, morality, or ethics while especially on public schools many different cultures and religions meet each other. It is of great importance that public secondary schools have access to an educational method which gives space in the classrooms to learn these value-oriented educational goals. I therefore propose to empower the resilient society by developing an educating value-oriented citizenship method for public schools.

PhD student

P. H.W. Huiting MA (Pascal)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr.  R.A. te Velde

Prof. dr. E. van der Zweerde

Title

Truly Human, Truly Divine. Kierkegaard and Soloviev in Dialogue on Humanity, Divinity and Freedom

Summary

In this research, I establish a dialogue between Danish philosopher Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855) and Russian philosopher Vladimir Sergeevič Soloviev (1853-1900)[1] on the themes of humanity, divinity and freedom. Of course, the word ‘dialogue’ is used as a metaphor for what in fact is an analysis and comparison of texts produced by Kierkegaard and Soloviev on the abovementioned themes. From a historical point of view this dialogue is absurd, because Kierkegaard and Soloviev never met each other and apart from a very tiny fragment, Soloviev never acquainted himself with Kierkegaard’s texts.[2]

The dialogue is nevertheless relevant considering the alleged common features of Kierkegaard’s and Soloviev’s thought, claimed by various authors. A dialogue between Kierkegaard and Soloviev is also a great opportunity to contrast their thoughts and in doing so, establish more clearly their sometimes parallel but often very different thoughts on humanity, divinity and freedom.

PhD student

N. Iacob (Norel)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. Dr. Marcel Sarot

Co-supervisor

Assist. Prof. Dr. Harm Goris

Domain

Systematic Theology

Title

Hermeneutics and the Doctrine of God. An Inquiry into the Hermeneutical Presuppositions of Open Theism and Classical Theism and a Plea for an Alternative

Summary

 The divergence between Classical Theism (which teaches a timeless, impassible, and omniscient God), and Open Theism (which teaches a temporal, passible and most knowledgeable God), suggests that, apart from any possible fallacy committed by either side, there could be some mutually exclusive pre-understandings behind the two theological models. An analysis of the hermeneutical presuppositions involved in the debate can lead to a better understanding of the core to which this debate can be reduced.

Once this step is taken, this research will investigate the possibility that another methodological matrix can be devised and used in the effort to find a theological model for reconciling various aspects of God’s biblical portrait. Determining the limitations, strengths, and vulnerabilities of such a potential model requires its evaluation in the light of biblical doctrines that are connected to it (systematic theology) and of relevant philosophical questions (conceptual analysis, analytic theology).

PhD student

B.J. Ipenburg MBA (Ben)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. Karim Schelkens

Prof. dr. Jeroen Dewulf

Title

Christianity and Slavery in the Dutch Atlantic Colonial Empire in the 17th and 18th Century

PhD student

Drs. A. de Jong MBA (Anne)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. Marcel Sarot

Prof. dr. Jan Loffeld

Domain

Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University

Title

“Vrouwen en Nouwen”: Een praktisch theologisch-biografisch onderzoek naar de invloed van vrouwen op het geloofsleven en de theologie van Henri J. M. Nouwen.
“Women and Nouwen”: Theological-Biographical Research into the Influence of Women on the Lived Faith and Theology of Henri J. M. Nouwen.

Summary

This theological-biographical research will look at the influence of four important women on Henri Nouwen’s spirituality, as is evident in his life and theological writings. Researching these women and Nouwen will function as a practical theological case-study into the role of gender within the relationship between lived faith, as a private domain, and the practice of (systematic) theology, as a public domain.  

PhD student

Drs. H.J. Kaiser (Herman)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. S.C.W. Eijffinger

Title

The principle of subsidarity: from Augustinus to Cobbenhagen (part 1) and its relevance for challenges in the 21th century (part 2)

PhD student

M. van der Knaap MSc (Maria)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. J.Z.T. Pieper

Prof. dr. M.H.F. van Uden

Domain

Title

Summary

PhD student

Drs. M.M.C. Koole (Mirjam)

Supervisors

Prof. dr. M.J.H.M. Poorthuis

Prof. dr. E.P.N.M. Borgman

Title

De Weg van het gebed in het denken van A.J. Herschel (1907-1972). Een wijze van omgaan met de waarheid

PhD student

E.J.P. Küpers MA (Edwin)

Supervisor

Prof. dr. G.A.F. Hellemans

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. T.A.M. Salemink

Title

Bernard Verhoeven (1897-1965) en de Nederlandse cultuurpolitiek in de periode 1945-1965

Domain

Cultuurgeschiedenis van het Katholicisme

Summary

In 1949 wordt de Rooms-Katholieke schrijver Bernard Verhoeven voor de eerste keer beëdigd als lid van de Tweede Kamer voor de KVP. Binnen zijn partij is hij zeker geen onbekende meer. Onder zijn leiding is de cultuurparagraaf van het verkiezingsprogramma geschreven. Sinds de jaren ’20 publiceert hij, naast eigen werk, in tijdschriften en dagbladen. Hij is actief op tal van terreinen – niet alleen als schrijver maar ook als actief pleitbezorger voor de opbouw van (Katholieke) volksuniversiteiten en bibliotheken. Hij neemt zitting in tal van besturen, commissies en jury’s. Bijna onvermoeibaar reist hij het hele land door om lezingen te geven. Hij pleit krachtig voor de door hem wenselijk geachte geestelijke opbouw van het volk, aanvankelijk vanuit een culturele emancipatie binnen het eigen, Katholieke volksdeel; later vanuit een meer algemene wens tot morele bewapening tegen de nadelige effecten van de ‘massamens’. Het blijft daarbij niet bij mooie woorden alleen. Na de Tweede Wereldoorlog wordt hij politiek actief, heeft zitting in talrijke commissies en neemt zelf de leiding bij de kunstvakopleidingen in Maastricht.

Het doel van het onderzoek is het beschrijven van de mate van invloed van de Rooms-Katholiek schrijver en politicus Bernard Verhoeven op de ontwikkeling van de cultuurpolitiek in Nederland in de periode 1949-1965. Het onderzoek bestaat uit vier lijnen: een biografische schets over Bernard Verhoeven, een beschrijving van de totstandkoming van de cultuurpolitiek in Nederland vanaf 1945 en een beschrijvende vergelijking over de mate van invloed die Verhoeven heeft gehad op de ontwikkeling van de cultuurpolitiek in Nederland.

De beschrijving gaat vooraf door een theoretisch kader dat nader ingaat op beleidsprocessen en de invloed van individuele actoren en netwerken binnen die processen. Bijzondere aandacht gaat daarbij uit naar netwerken binnen een verzuilde maatschappij.

PhD student

Drs. A.P.J. Litjens (Fons)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Co-supervisor

dr. F. Bosman

Domain

Biblical Sciences

Title

Prayerful life in pictures. A communication-oriented study of the psalm illustrations in the Psalter of Saint Albans

Summary

Thanks to digitization, many medieval manuscripts are accessible to anyone interested. This also applies to the Psalter of Saint Albans, which was published in 2003 on its own website (albani-psalter.de). More than 200 illustrated initials accompany the 150 psalms. This manuscript has been the object of art historical research for more than a century. In recent decades there has been a shift from an iconographic approach, with attention to the meaning of the image, to the image as a form of communication.

Within Biblical exegesis there is also a growing interest in a communication-oriented approach, in which a careful distinction is made between text-internal and text-external communication. This method is promising for studying the interaction between the text of the psalm and the psalm illustration. Psalm illustrations are regarded as 'texts' within this approach, which can be studied in the same way as psalm texts.

The research aims to contribute to the further development of a method to systematically relate biblical images to the biblical text and thus to the visual training of theologians, who are usually mainly trained in reading texts and its responsible use.

PhD student

T. Luca (Tudor)

Supervisor

Prof. dr. B. Koet

Co-supervisor

dr.  O. Floinn

Domain

Title

Summary

PhD student

Drs. Chr.C.G.M.’t Mannetje (Chris)

Supervisors

Prof. dr. J.R. Först

Prof. dr. H. Roebben (Dortmund)

Domain

Practical Theology

Title

What I can do for you. Lifespan accompanying faith communication with young adults.

Summary

A change in attitude of faith and religious behaviour in young adults requires a foundational ecclesiological change in thinking. Biographical relevance appears to be essential in pastoral encounters. What are the conditions and forms of a communicative faith practice.

In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (GS) gives the church itself the task "to explore the signs of the times and to interpret them in the light of the Gospel." "So we can speak of a real social and cultural revolution, which also has an impact on the religious life."(GS 4). The consequences of that revolution also in the religious life is perhaps perceive most clearly by the generation of young adults.

Pope Paul VI already indicated that the church cannot meet its mission of evangelization without evangelizing herself, convert herself (Evangelii Nuntiandi). Developments in churchy behaviour in the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands (and elsewhere in Western Christianity) poses the question: what is going wrong? The younger generations (although not only they) are not addressed by the implementation of the evangelizing mission in terms that its effect can be positively measured in familiar patterns of churchy behaviour. Does the church has itself sufficiently persuaded by what is possibly a sign of the times and which traces of God will be discovered in this process? What could be taught to the church by this generation about religious communication in a modern context? Listen, read and understand as contingent and essential parts of the process of evangelization?

PhD student

N. Mathew

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. J. Loffeld

Prof. dr. M.C.H.van Dijk-Groeneboer

Domain

Title

PhD student

R. Nazarenko MA (Roman)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M.J.H.M. Poorthuis

Prof. dr. Edward J. Alam (Notre Dame University-Louaizé, Lebanon)

Title

Scriptural Reasoning: a new theological approach in interreligious dialogue

PhD student

A.N. Nwachukwu (Anthony)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. W.M. Speelman

Co-supervisor

Domain

Title

Summary

PhD student

M.A. Ospino Finol (Manuel)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr A. van Wieringen

Co-supervisor

Prof. dr. B. Koet

Domain

Biblical Studies

Title

Paul as a Reader of Isaiah: a Communication Oriented Analysis

Summary

It is a well-known fact that Romans contains the highest number of marked quotations and allusions to Isaiah among the Pauline letters. However, these Isaiah quotations and allusions have been studied from the standpoint of the theological and missiological argument elaborated by Paul in Romans, which means that the intertextual relationship has very often been studied from a semantic perspective. In this research, however, I propose to study the Isaiah quotations present in Romans 9:30-10:21 as part of a Communication Oriented Analysis applied to that pericope. In doing so, I plan to study the intertextual relationship between the text-immanent author of the mentioned pericope with the text-immanent reader of the Isaiah quotations. This research follows a communication-oriented exegesis in order to analyze the communication process present in Romans 9:30-10:21 and explore the intertextual relationship between that text and the Isaiah texts that are there quoted. In order to do this, the text is firstly analyzed syntactically and then semantically. Secondly, the communication process of Romans 9:30-10:21 is studied to see the relationships between the text-immanent author with the text-immanent reader. After this first analysis has taken place, the same method is to be applied to the Isaiah texts quoted in the Romans pericope, that is, the Isaiah texts are to be also studied applying Communication Oriented Analysis doing exegetical work on those texts in their own contexts. Once this is done, the question of the intertextual relationship between the text-immanent author of that pericope with the text-immanent reader of the Isaiah texts there quoted may be explored and synthesized.

PhD student

W.M. Otte (Wim)

Supervisor(s)

Prof.  dr. B. J. Koet

Prof.  dr.  A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Domain

Digital Humanities, Exegesis

Title

The contextual lexicographic reinterpretation of Paul’s letter-spirit antithesis in 2 Corinthians 3:6

Summary

Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians is relatively difficult to comprehend, due to questions about the integrity of the epistle, difficult Greek language, and lack of sufficient information about the historical context. Within this letter, verse 3:6 is notorious challenging: “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter (γράμμα) but of the Spirit (πνεῦμα); for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

In the Church, this text is historically interpreted as a hermeneutical guideline to read the Old Testament, with an allegorical, spiritual reading preferred over a more literal interpretation. However, the question is whether γράμμα and πνεῦμα should be considered as antithetic. Perhaps we are biased due to the developments in dogmatics since the Reformation, in which ‘letter’ and ‘spirit’ have become opposites. Efforts to remap their meaning, away from the allegedly hermeneutical guideline, have been presented. However, these efforts critically depend on semantic re-evaluations based on intertextual allusions to texts outside Paul’s epistle. Extensive intertextual lexicographical mapping is currently difficult to perform, hampering the semantic characterization.

This project aims to characterize the meaning of γράμμα and πνεῦμα in 2 Cor. 3:6 with a co-text-dependent lexicographical language tool, modelled on and validated with a large ancient Greek corpus of extant texts, including the New Testament. The development of a generic co-text-dependent lexicographical tool to systematically map the semantic relationships between ancient Greek words will hopefully, apart from its use in characterizing 2 Cor. 3:6, fill a more general void in exegeses of extant texts

PhD student

J. J.J. Pater MA (Jonathan)

Status

PhD Candidate NWO project Parabels and the Partings of the Ways

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M.J.H.M. Poorthuis

Prof. dr. A.B. Merz

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. H.L.M. Ottenheijm (Utrecht University)

Domain

Biblical Sciences

Title

Rabbinic and Christian Meal Parables

PhD student

P.C.J.M. Paulissen (Jarell)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr.  M.C.H. van Dijk-Groeneboer

Co-supervisor

dr. F.G. Bosman

Title

Sects, cults and religious organisations in digital games

PhD student

M.J.A.M. Peeters (Michael)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. M. Sarot

Prof. dr. R. Roukema

Domain

Systematic Theology

Title

Education in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A theological reading of the parable of Luke 15:11–32 through the use of its Wirkungsgeschichte, with special attention for its pedagogical themes.

Summary

With the story of Luke 15:11–32, commonly known as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son,” one of the best-known and most beloved pieces of the New Testament, the Christian tradition seems to offer an original, rich, and fruitful contribution to the understanding of the “educational event.”

Among its many themes and possible meanings, what does the parable of Luke 15:11–32 say on pedagogy? Does it shed light on the “educational event”? In its reception history, where does the pedagogical element come into play and in what way? How can we integrate what we find in the tradition of interpretation into a coherent theological interpretation that does justice to this part of the parable’s richness of meaning?

By doing systematic research on the reception history of this text, focusing on the figure of the father and his pedagogical approach towards his sons, I intend to further uncover the richness of this unique parable.

PhD student

Drs. A.S.M.H.Prakken (Arthur)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Domain

Catholic Theology

Title

Waarom binden intellectuelen als de humanisten, die ook lid waren van de Accademia Romana, zich aan de curie als abbreviatores?

Waarom hebben de pausen Paulus II (1464 – 1471) en Sixtus IV (1471 – 1484) geheel verschillend gereageerd?

Summary

During the 15th century there were a lot of problems concerning the Western church. The popes returned to Rome from Avignon but this was not without danger. In Central-Europe, protests against the ideas of the Catholic Church were rising up and the political situation in Italy was uncertain. Furthermore, Ottomans who in the 1570s had occupied Otranto in Southern-Italy formed a threat. Both in Rome as well as Central-Italy, we note the presence of the humanists. In Rome, an active group of humanists called the Accademia Romana was founded by the humanist Pomponio Leto. During this turbulent time frame, Paul II (Pietro Barbo from Venice) became pope (1464-1471). At the papal Cancelleria, a group of official secretaries, the so-called abbreviatores, covered an honourable function. Paul II reduced the number of these abbreviatores. Members of the Accademia, such as Bartolomeo Platina, were imprisoned. The successor of Paul II, Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovere), (1471-1484), however, enlarged the number of abbreviatores and showed more respect for members of the Accademia. I plan to investigate why intellectuals such as the humanists aspired to be one of the abbreviatores and why the popes reigning at this time responded to this in such different ways. I will consult the Vatican Archives during the search for answers to these questions.

PhD student

T. Plankina (Tatiana)

Supervisors

Prof. Rob Faesen

Prof. Inigo Bocken

Domain

Spirituality

Title

The meaning of self-denial in the Carmelite mystics

Summary

Renunciation of self, of his will, is the hallmark of mysticism of the Carmelite order. Renunciation of self to achieve unity with God appears in the writings of the most significant in Catholic mysticism Carmelite mystics, such as, Teresa de Avila, Elizabeth de La trinité, Teresa de Lisieux, Juan de La Cruz. Each of them expounds and interprets the meaning of renunciation in the context of his mystical experience. Thus, for example, Teresa of Avila in her main work "The Inner castle" proves the importance of renunciation to achieve unity with God and gives certain instructions on how to achieve this through renunciation. Juan de La Cruz describes the renunciation in the context of his experience of suffering and the experience of communion with God. Theresa of Lisieux also describes her path of self-denial to achieve unity with God in her experience of communion with God, emphasizing the relationship of self-denial and trust in God. The topic of self-denial is the main theme in the concept of their mysticism.

PhD student

H.A.  Robben MA (Heleen)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Co-supervisor

Domain

Church History

Title

Dutch Women and Catholicism's Global Turn to Dialogue.

Summary

This research project focusses on a group of Dutch Catholic Women, the Ladies of Bethany, who were present in Rome during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The meeting center that was under the care of the Ladies of Bethany was a popular spot during the council. The Ladies of Bethany hosted lecture nights and received many guests (catholics, protestants and orthodox).

Historical research on the Second Vatican Council however, has been primarily focused on the role of the clergy and has neglected the role of women. The French-Canadian scholar Ph. Roy listed over 4.000 academic studies on the Second Vatican Council since the 1970s (Roy 2012), and most of these studies concern the drafting process of documents by theologians and clergy, thus excluding the presence of women from the historical studies on Vatican II.

By combining the study of newly available collections of historical data with the method of social network analysis (Düring 2016), this project will map the neglected impact of the Dutch ‘Ladies of Bethany’ (LoB) and their Foyer Unitas, on the U-turn of global Catholicism in the 1960s. I intend to challenge the dominant framework which holds that the worldwide impact of the Second Vatican Council (with effects as worldwide communities committing to interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding) was the result of formal decision-making processes led by a group of male clergy members.

PhD student

H.J.M. Ruel (Huub)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr.  C. N. de Groot

Prof. dr. J. Graafland

Domain

Theology and Religious Studies

Title

Catholic Social Thought and Corporate Governance in Multinational Corporations: A Conceptual and Empirical Exploration

Summary

Despite business’ increased involvement in dealing with grand challenges such as climate change, environmental damage, income inequality, poverty and human rights, businesses and especially multinational corporations (MNCs) are also being criticized by NGOs, interest groups, societal actors, politicians and governments around the world for tax evasion, excessive CEO pay, environmental damage and natural resources exploitation, poor labor conditions, and modern slavery and child labor. A root cause of corporate misconduct lies in MNC’s corporate governance systems. Over the past 50 years the Anglo-American shareholder focused model was leading in academic corporate governance research. This model assumes that maximizing the financial wealth of shareholders is the purpose of business. This purpose is increasingly being criticized since it is considered as a cause of natural and human resources exploitation and corporate misconduct. Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ continued the critical line of earlier Papal Encyclical Letters regarding the negative impact of profit-driven, short-term focused business activities, a result of a shareholder focus of the firm, on human and natural resources.

Catholic Social Thought (CST) as an intellectual line of thought puts forward that the purpose of business is to serve the common good (John Paul II, 1991) and considers businesses as ‘a community formed for the sake of filling the needs of society’ (John Paul II, 1991). CST can be moral source for corporate governance of MNCs. Scholarly work on the relationship between CST and corporate governance is in its infancy though. This PhD project takes this as the point of departure with the following overarching research question consisting of two components: (1) How does Catholic Social Thought inform corporate governance and (2) what is the influence of a corporate governance system that is shaped in line with Catholic Social Thought on the performance of multinational corporations (MNCs) and its interactions with the external business environment?

PhD student

M. Sato (Makiko)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. M.A. Smalbrugge

Domain

Church History

Title

Lying and the human being: How the concept of lying shaped Augustine's anthropology

PhD student

drs. M.J. Sinninghe Damsté (Maurits)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Domain

Biblical Sciences

Title

Questions in Luke 1:5-2:52: their functions in the development of the communication between the text-immanent author and the text-immanent reader

PhD student

C. Stok MA (Eli)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof. dr. M. Sarot

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Domain

Systematic Theology and Biblical Studies

Title

Revelation Theology and Revealing Dreams in the Joseph Narratives

Summary

PhD student

S.M.M. The-Mertens BA MS (Stephie)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. G.A.F. Hellemans

Prof. dr. M.C.H. van Dijk-Groeneboer

Domain

Practical Theology and Social Sciences

Title

The youth ministry of new ecclesial movements

Summary

Many lay people nowadays are connecting themselves with the spiritualties of the church through new ecclesial movements or movements associated with established religious orders and institutes. Several theologians have reflected on these movements, pointing to their significance as well as their issues. One observation frequently made is new ecclesial movements’ universal attractiveness to young people. This goes for Dutch young people as well. Though often having disappeared from the parish pews and therefore difficult to reach for youth ministers and volunteers, they are found in the new ecclesial movements. This is an interesting phenomenon that propels further inquiry. How is youth ministry practiced by the new ecclesial movements? Who are the young people that are coming? What are they looking for and experiencing?

My project involves descriptive-qualitative research regarding the youth ministry of the Dutch branches of three new ecclesial movements. I will focus on each movement’s youth ministry organization and content: activities, presence of relational ministry, spiritual direction and/or pastoral care, theological concepts or catechesis, both from the viewpoints of the people organizing it and the young people participating in it. I will answer my research questions by exploring written resources, conducting in-depth interviews, and making observations. Further, I might develop a quantitative component exploring the background of participating young people.

In order to understand and reflect on the theological meaning of new ecclesial movements’ youth ministry, it is important to place my research in the theoretical context of the Theology of Youth and Youth Ministry. Its scientific study is a fairly new phenomenon, advanced by organizations such as the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry, and very relevant for the future of the Catholic Church.

PhD student

J. Thomas (Jomon)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

Biblical Studies

Title

A communication oriented analysis of Hardening oracles in Isaiah and Luke-Acts

Summary

The book of Isaiah is one of the most frequently quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament. The theological perspectives of the NT authors, especially those of the evangelists, are greatly influenced by Isaianic texts. Going through the gospel of Luke, one can find in it several motifs from Isaiah which indicates that Luke weaves Isaiah tightly into the structure of his double work, quoting at crucial places within the Narrative. One such example is the hardening oracles proclaimed in Isaiah 6:9-10. This particular text from Isaiah figures in Luke-Acts; the parable of the sower in Luke 8:10 and Paul’s declaration in Acts 28:26-28. At the same time, we do see Luke alluding to the particular Isaiah text differently in his respective gospel and Acts’ texts. In this context, through my research, I would like to study and explore the inter-textual relationship between the text-immanent author of the Isaiah text and the text-immanent reader of the two texts of Luke-Acts, respectively, by making use of communication-oriented analysis.

PhD student

Drs. R.E.J.M.  van den Toorn (Robert)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. G.A.F. Hellemans

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. J.M.M.G.F. van Wiele

Title

Turkse alevieten in West-Europa. Comparatieve studie van de receptie van lokaal integratiebeleid

PhD student

Drs. C. (Carolijn) van Voorst tot Voorst-Alting von Geusau

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

New Testament and Church History

Title

Een diepere beschouwing van de omgang van Jezus met de kinderen volgens de evangelisten en het commentaar van de kerkvaders

Summary

De evangelieteksten van de kinderzegening worden vaak benaderd als een soort ‘lieve’ verhalen waar Jezus ‘toevallig’ aardig doet tegen de kinderen. We lezen er ‘met een glimlach’ overheen. Maar er zit volgens mij een veel diepere dimensie en betekenis in deze ontmoeting van Jezus met de kinderen. Die diepere lagen wil ik graag beschouwend onderzoeken door deze teksten in verband te brengen met andere evangelieteksten waarin Jezus met kinderen omgaat. Daarbij wil ik ook het commentaar betrekken wat de kerkvaders op deze verschillende teksten geven. Hierbij wil ik onderzoeken of de omgang van Jezus met de kinderen normaal was voor die tijd of juist revolutionair. Was het gebruikelijk dat een volwassen man en rabbi kinderen zo serieus nam? En wat is de betekenis ervan dat Jezus juist de kinderen centraal stelt?

PhD student

Dr. Th.R.A.M. Wagenaar (Theodor)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. G.A.F. Hellemans

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. T.A.M. Salemink

Domain

Church History

Title

Reception of the Catholic Social Doctrine in the Netherlands During the Period 1945 - 2010

Summary

This study examines the extent of acquaintance with, the extent of the attention for and the evaluation of the social doctrine of the catholic church in the Netherlands during the period 1945 - 2010 in the ecclesiastical domain, the political domain and the socio-economic domain.

The social doctrine constitutes an important element in the message the church presents to the world. From 1891 onwards, this doctrine has in particular been expressed in a number of so-called 'social encyclical letters'. Although there have been many publications on the subject, little research has been done pertaining to the reception of this doctrine, leaving a few studies aside. This study aims to satisfy this gap.

Research questions

• Have there been replies to the appearance of the social encyclical letters in the ecclesiastical, the political and the socio-economic domain? Which specific perspectives are being exposed in these encyclical letters?
• What does the potential evaluation of these perspectives made by the authors and interviewees in question consist of? What parts do they criticize and which arguments do they employ?
• What conjuncture (continuity, break, transformation) can be found in the attention for and the evaluation of the selected social encyclical letters in the time period mentioned above?

PhD student

A.H.C. Warringa (Alette)

Supervisor(s)

Prof.dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof.dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

Bible sciences and Church History

Title

Summary

PhD student

Drs. M.G.L. van de Wiel (Max)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Prof. dr. A.L.H.M. van Wieringen

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. H.W.M. van Grol

Domain

Exegese van het Oude Testament

Title

Opgaan naar God. Een communicatie-georiënteerde analyse van de psalmen 120-134

Summary

In het voorgestelde onderzoek wordt een communicatie-georiënteerde analyse gepresenteerd van de psalmen 120-134. Een tekst is een vorm van communicatie, zowel binnen de tekstuele ‘bühne’ (tussen de personages) als buiten het tekstuele ‘podium’ (tussen de tekst-immanente auteur en de tekst-immanente lezer). In gepubliceerde commentaren is met name deze laatste communicatielaag in de genoemde psalmen onvoldoende onderzocht en worden begrippen als ‘auteur’ en ‘lezer’ gehanteerd, maar onnauwkeurig gepositioneerd ten opzichte van de tekst.

Met behulp van de communicatie-georiënteerde methode wordt, met betrekking tot de psalmen 120-134, gepoogd om tot een nauwkeuriger positionering te komen van de ten opzichte van deze psalmteksten aanwezige tekst-immanente auteur en tekst-immanente lezer, om zo te komen tot een beter inzicht in de structuur, inhoud en eenheid binnen deze afzonderlijke vijftien psalmen, alsook binnen de gehele collectie.

Onderzoeksvragen:

1. Wat maakt de psalmen 120-134 tot een lezersgeoriënteerde eenheid vanuit een synchroon perspectief?
2. Welk inzicht geeft de communicatie-georiënteerde exegese over de positie van de tekst-immanente auteur en de tekst-immanente lezer in de afzonderlijke psalmen 120-134?
3. Welke consequentie heeft dit inzicht, vanuit communicatief perspectief gezien, voor het geheel van de psalmen 120-134 als literaire eenheid?

Welk inzicht geeft de communicatie-georiënteerde analyse voor de betekenis en functie van de bij deze vijftien psalmen behorende opschriften?

PhD student

Drs. M. Wielhouwer (Max)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. J.Z.T. Pieper

Co-supervisor(s)

Dr. W. Smeets

Domain

Practical Theology and Religious Studies

Title

Meaning in the elderly home care

Summary

Due to changes in healthcare, more and more care recipients will receive support and help at home in the coming years. They cannot claim support in case of meaning questions and spiritual distress such as is available in nursing and care homes, for example provided by the spiritual care giver. At the same time, research shows that vulnerable elderly people in particular need guidance in giving meaning to their life. Healthcare providers also recognize the significance of this support.

This research provides insight into the relationship between this need for meaning among the care recipient and the influence the contact with the care provider has on those in home care. The research focuses on the meaning experience of the care recipient and has a practical goal: finding more clarity about how daily care practice contributes positively or negatively to the meaning experience of the care recipient. By means of case studies, qualitative research takes place into the meaning experience in care contact. The results of this qualitative phase are used to perform thereafter a quantitative measurement in a survey among a larger group of care recipients.

This research also focuses on the philosophical sources of meaning these care recipients use. Traditional forms of meaning giving make way for a more individualized use of these philosophical sources of meaning. Can the care contact mean something for elderly care recipients who have an increasing need for guidance in giving meaning by exploring their sources of meaning?

PhD student

R.J. van Wingerden

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. P.J.J. van Geest

Prof. dr. B.J. Koet

Domain

New Testament and Church History

Title

Martyrdom and Metaphor: A Semiotic Perspective on Early Christian Cross-bearing Traditions

Domain: Biblical Studies and Early Church History

Summary

In early Christianity, the call for “cross-bearing” was interpreted in radically different terms, from the martyrological to the figurative and allegorical. Cross-bearing is articulated clearly both by Jesus himself (Mark 8:34; Matt 10:38, 16:24; Luke 9:23, 14:27) as well as in the narratives of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion (Mark 15:21; Mat 27:32; Luke 23:26; John 19:17). Surprisingly, how the divergent interpretations of these traditions are formed and how they are legitimised is poorly understood. Thus, key insight is missing into the dynamics of religious identity formation, including religious extremism and its self-legitimation. This project investigates what happens between text and interpreter in the production of the literal and figurative interpretations of the paradigmatic “cross-bearing” traditions in the New Testament and early Christianity up to the fourth century, in which the notions of “cross bearing” and crucifixion became mixed up. Textual interpretation is like walking through the woods, and interpreters of “cross-bearing” turned up in many different places. Eco’s model of the cooperative reader (1979) provides a helpful tool for understanding the interpretative choices made by the interpreter, and when applied to early Christian “cross-bearing” traditions, the factors leading to radical or more metaphorical interpretations become clear. Such insight into the formation of religious interpretations is especially relevant in an age of religious radicalism.

PhD student

Drs. T.H.J.M. van der Woude  (Thom)

Supervisor(s)

Prof. dr. K. Schelkens

Co-supervisor

dr. J.W.J. van Gennip

Domain

Church History

Title

Summary