With several scholars from different disciplines, we have recently started a research group that focuses on trans* and religion in the Netherlands. This is for now primarily located at the Protestant Theological University in Amsterdam but includes scholars from the UU and UVA as well, and furthermore works with social partners such as Transgender Netwerk Nederland and the LKP, (Landelijk Koordinatiepunt groepen kerk en homoseksualiteit). A large focus of this new project is theological and asks what theological reconsiderations are implied when trans* is taken seriously, both as a concept of fluidity and transgression, as well as lived experiences of religious trans*people. In this group, I will focus on queer and genderstudies and ask how including experiences of religious trans* people might shift the dominant understanding of religion within genderstudies. At the same time,  we argue for a recognition of trans*experiences in the study of religion, not only as yet another different type of identity, but as bringing forth new academic and theoretical questions for the study of religion, gender and sexuality as a developing field of studies. For now, this is in a orientation and explorative phase, a first expertmeeting has been organized. A website with more information will be online soon, as well as several events connected to this team.

Research group

Prof. dr. Heleen Zorgdrager – PThU, Amsterdam
Prof. dr. Ruard Ganzevoort – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Prof. dr. Anne-Marie Korte – Utrecht University
Dr. Mariecke van den Berg – NOSTER & Utrecht University
Lieke Schrijvers, MA – Utrecht University
Ds. Wielie Elhorst – LKP & LCC Plus Projecten
Emsi Hansen – PThU, Amsterdam (project assistant)

Events related to this project

2016                     ‘Transgender and Religion’ (individual)
Conference presentation ‘Doing Gender in the Netherlands: TRANS* approaches, methods and concepts’, The Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies (NOG). Amsterdam, the Netherlands. June 10.

2016      ‘Transgender, Religion, Faith’, expert meeting. (team)
Organisation and individual paper presentation ‘Queer Studies and Religion’. Collaboration of PThU, UU and VU. Amsterdam, the Netherlands. April 25.