Our colleague in liturgical studies, Mirella Klomp, Professor of Practical Theology at the Protestant Theological University (PThU) in Utrecht, has been chosen as Theologian Laureate of the Netherlands for 2024-2025.
In that role she will explore theological issues related to understandings of the land. This is not a new subject for her, as she has already spearheaded and been immersed in a five year “intra- and interdisciplinary research project focusing on (agricultural) land, faith, God and church and the relationship between them.”
According to an article on her university’s website, “She is curious about the stories of the land that sustains us in the Netherlands: how it inspires us or perhaps holds us back, how it connects or divides. What the soil says about who we are.”
The award, given in recognition of outstanding contributions to public debate, has alternately been called “Theologian of the Year” or “Most Talked About Theologian.”
There is also an element of outreach in the role. Klomp remarks that “This is a tremendous opportunity to be an ambassador of this wonderful field. I want to show that theology can contribute to many conversations and provide a valuable voice in the discussion, even in a country where the Christian faith has lost much of its firm foothold.”
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