Matthew Kaemingk appointed as Professor of Public Theology at TUU

Public Theology – A bridge between faith and society

17 December 2025 - cross posted from the TUU website.

Dr. Matthew Kaemingk has been appointed professor of the newly established chair in Public Theology at Utrecht Theological University (TUU), effective January 1, 2026.

Public theology emphasizes social and public issues and actively seeks dialogue with society in order to make a relevant contribution.

At TUU, this chair falls under the Neo-Calvinism Research Institute. Public theology has traditionally been practiced at TUU, particularly in and around ethics and philosophy. However, the fact that public theology is now also being practiced as a separate field from its own chair will benefit both the focus on public themes and public interaction.

Public theological dimension

Dr. Kaemingk will focus on the public theological dimension. Another important objective of the chair is to strengthen TUU’s international network. A growing number of non-Western Christians are seeking inspiration from Western neo-Calvinist theologians. With most of them having a special interest in public issues in their own context. This calls for a more intercultural and interreligious dialogue or debate-oriented development of the neo-Calvinist tradition in general and its public theology in particular. With Kaemingk, TUU hopes to attract more international master’s and doctoral students.

This is a 0.5 FTE appointment for a period of five years. The chair will be embedded in the university’s education and research program.

Reformed tradition

Dr. Matthew Kaemingk is an American ethicist and public theologian. He is the Richard John Mouw Associate Professor of Faith and Public Life at Fuller Theological Seminary (USA) and is known for his books Work and Worship (2020) and Reformed Public Theology (2021). Kaemingk is committed to the Reformed and neo-Calvinist theological tradition and its method of public theological reflection. He leads an international research and support project on the relationship between faith, work, and worship, has a podcast on Christian-Muslim relations, leads a program in this field funded by the Templeton Foundation, and supervises seven doctoral students working in the field of neo-Calvinism and public theology. He is currently organizing a series of three international academic conferences on Reformed public theology in Latin America, Asia, and Africa with TUU and Edinburgh University.

“The Theological University of Utrecht is delighted with this appointment. Kaemingk’s expertise will enable him to make an important contribution to the international dimension of our university and its distinctive theology, and to contribute to the public debate on religion and society, for example with regard to Islam,” said Rector Magnificus George Harinck.