Systematic Theology
Department chair: Prof. Dr. Ronald T. Michener
Studies in Systematic Theology
The research in the department Systematic Theology follows three thematic lines.
The first line of research focuses on Postmodern Theology and Theological-Hermeneutical Philosophy. This research examines the theological nature of interpretation and the ongoing interpretive nature of theological discourse through critical engagement and appropriation of contemporary and postmodern philosophies shaping the theological landscape of today. The influences of such major continental figures as Heidegger, Ricoeur, Frei, Lindbeck, Foucault, Marion, and Derrida, among others, are considered.
The second line of research, Moral Theology and Postmodern Ethical Discourse, concerns the role of Evangelicals in contemporary society, especially in the area of ethics and moral theology. The climate of postmodernity has led to various shifts in moral discourse and ethical dialogue. Fresh perspectives for moral argumentation that provide compelling inclinations toward Christian principles and values are investigated. Research is also conducted into the necessity and possibility of an Evangelical ‘public theology’. The underlying concern is to understand the particular contributions Christians and Churches in the broader Evangelical world can make in a pluralistic democratic setting.
The third line of research, Ecclesiological Studies and Ecumenism, examines the identity of the Evangelical tradition, within both Church denominations and non-denominational Free Church movements in Europe and worldwide. This work acknowledges the diversity of this tradition both within institutional ecclesiological forms of government and in the ongoing growth of the organic, congregational Church models. Particular attention is paid to ecumenical involvement of Evangelicals and Pentecostals and their dialogue with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions.
Independent Academic Personnel
| Prof. Dr. Ronald T. Michener | Postmodern Theological Concerns |
| Prof. Dr. Nico den Bok | Classical Theology, Trinitarian Studies, Augustine |
| Prof. Dr. Patrick Nullens | Moral Theology |
| Prof. Dr. Steven C. van den Heuvel | Theological Anthropology, Environmental Ethics |
Special Academic Personnel
| Dr. David Courey | Pentecostal theology, Luther’s theology of the cross | |
| Dr. Emilio Di Somma | Political theology, ethics, theological anthropology | |
| Dr. Raymond Hausoul | Protology, eschatology, hermeneutics | |
| Dr. Sang Hoon Lee | Eternity, time and eschatology in modern theologies | |
| Dr. Peirong Lin | Christian mission drift, Christians and non-profit organizations | |
| Dr. Arttu Mäkipää | Political theology/ethics, economics and theology | |
| Prof. Dr. Michael S. Northcott | Ethics | |
| Cees Tulp, M.A. | Continental philosophy and theology | |
External Instructors
| Dr. Rob Nijhoff |
Promovendi (with or without AAP/SAP-status)
| Fadi Abou Dib | The Sophiology of Vladimir Solovyov |
| Carina Dimitrova | TBD |
| Laura Fabrycky | Acedia’s Effect in Civiv and Political Life |
| Jason Glen | An Analysis of Shame and Guilt through the Writings of Nussbaum and Bonhoeffer |
| Daniel Keil | Relativist Epistemology and Its Critique of Objective Knowledge Claims |
| Stephan Meijers | Robust Realism: A Reconstruction of Machiavelli’s Civil Servant Ethics for Education in Moral Resilience |
| Matthias Meister | Being Free in the Public Sphere: Bonhoeffer’s Concept of Freedom as an Answer to the Totalizing Effects of Digitalization |
| Eduard Sablon Leiva | Fr. Sergius Bulgakov’s and Vladimir N. Lossky’s Theological Methods: A Comparative Analysis |
| Cees Tulp | Implications of French Phenomenology for a Theological Anthropology |
| Gerard van Velzen | Christian Ethics and Hate |
| Daniel Vassen | Critical Realism and the Knowledge of God: A Critical Appropriation of Roy Bhaskar’s Epistemology for Theological Method |
