Theologian Kees van der Kooi appointed distinguished lecturer at ESAA

Van der Kooi, currently Professor of Systematic Theology at VU, will be engaged in subjects emerging where the fields of theology and economics intersect. The appointment is closely linked to recent developments addressing themes such as human behaviour, the motives behind people’s conduct, and how these themes can be embedded in the broader discourse of searching for meaning within an interdisciplinary context. Van der Kooi will collaborate with fellow theologian Paul van Geest (Professor of Theology and Economic Thought at Erasmus School of Philosophy) in contributing to research and education for students and doctoral candidates interested in the interrelationship between the search for meaning and the history of theology and economic activity.

About Kees van der Kooi

Kees van der Kooi is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Faculty of Religion and Theology at VU Amsterdam. Having reached the age of retirement, he will be stepping down from his position there on 4 October 2018. He received his doctorate in 1985 with his dissertation on the early theology of Karl Barth. With Gijsbert van den Brink, he was the co-author of the widely praised textbook Christelijke Dogmatiek (2012). Van der Kooi enjoys widespread international acclaim as an expert in the traditions of Reformed theology, Karl Barth’s theology, and the socio-cultural implications of these schools of thought. In 2014 he was the speaker at the prestigious Warfield Lectures in Princeton, recently published under the title This Incredibly Benevolent Force. The Holy Spirit in Reformed Theology and Spirituality (2018). Kees van der Kooi is also part of the ERGO network (Economics, Religion, Governance & Organisation). This series of conferences held annually are in part made possible through the support of the Goldschmeding Foundation. He is also involved in the interuniversity Templeton project ‘What good markets are good for’.