Dr Deborah de Koning

Bio

I am Dr. Deborah de Koning and I work as postdoctoral researcher in the NWO Project Apocalypse and Climate Change. I have a passion for Eastern Religions (specifically Hinduism and Buddhism) and focus in my academic work on contemporary religious practices. I love being ‘in the field’ to conduct ethnographic research.

The climate crisis affects our world and the ways we look at it. Religious traditions offer specific worldviews – including language – to provide interpretations of crises. I am interested in how religious traditions are reappraised by climate activists.

Expertise

I my research I specifically look at how religious (climate) groups contribute to climate positive living and how they (selectively) employ religious traditions for this. I mainly focus on practices and climate rituals. Climate rituals are fashioned both from existing traditions (think of commemorations with a collective prayer of an ecological Our Father/Mother), but new climate rituals are also invented (like climate pilgrimages). Several of these rituals have to do with ecological mourning.

From 2015-2021 I worked at Tilburg University as PhD-student. At that time I conducted my NWO-funded PhD research on Ravanisation. I have investigated the (re)appraisal and revitalisation of Ravana – mainly, but not exclusively known as a demon king from Hindu mythology - amongst Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

Teaching

I also work as guest lecturer Hinduism and Buddhism at several theological faculties and universities (ETF, TUK, CHE)

Recent publications

1. The Many Faces of Ravana - Ravanisation: The Revitalisation of Ravana…

   de Koning, D. (2021). The Many Faces of Ravana: Ravanisation: The Revitalisation of Ravana among Sinhalese Buddhists in Post-War Sri Lanka. [Doctoral Thesis, Tilburg University]. [s.n.].

2. De Jatakas - Wat de Boeddha leerde – heden en verleden

   de Koning, D. (Author). (2020). De Jatakas: Wat de Boeddha leerde – heden en verleden. Digital or Visual Products https://parabelproject.nl/de-jatakas-wat-de-boeddha-leerde-heden-en-verleden/

3. Review of the book Hindus in the Netherlands, Freek L. Bakker, 2018

   de Koning, D. (2019). Review of the book Hindus in the Netherlands, Freek L. Bakker, 2018. NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion, 73(3), 249-250.

4. Mythevorming en sociale media bij groeiende anti-moslimsentimenten in…

   de Koning, D. (2018). Mythevorming en sociale media bij groeiende anti-moslimsentimenten in Sri Lanka. Diggit Magazine. https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/mythevorming-en-sociale-media-bij-groeiende-anti-moslimsentimenten-sri-lanka

5. The Ritualizing of the Martial and Benevolent Side of Ravana in Two A…

   de Koning, D. (2018). The Ritualizing of the Martial and Benevolent Side of Ravana in Two Annual Rituals at the Sri Devram Maha Viharaya in Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka. Religions, 9, [250].