Niels Henrik Gregersen

Niels Henrik Gregersen

Professor

Brief Curriculum Vitae: Professor Niels Henrik Gregersen

Orcid 0000-0003-4389-895X

Academic Degrees

1987 PhD in Theology from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).

1983 MA in Theology, UCPH.

Employment

2004-now Professor of Systematic Theology, UCPH.

2000-2004 Research Professor of Theology and Science, Aarhus University.

1989-2000 Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Aarhus University.

1996-1997 Research Fellow, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton.

1986-1989 Assistant Professor of Ethics and Philosophy of Religion, Aarhus University.

Scholarly Focus

(1) Within the field of systematic theology, he specializes in the theology of creation and Christology, especially developing the idea of “deep incarnation”.

(2) Within the field of science & religion, he specializes in the philosophy of Darwinian biology and the sciences of complexity, especially concepts of self-organization and information.

(3) Within philosophy, he specializes in phenomenology and resonance theory.

Named Public Lectures  

2024 The Samuel Ferguson lecture, Manchester, UK

2022 The Interface Lectures on Science and Religion, Vancouver, CA (three lectures)

2018 Visiting Professor, University of Halle.

2017 The Goshen Lectures, Goshen College, Indiana, US (three lectures).

2013 The J.K. Russell Research Fellowship in Religion and Science, Center for Theology and Science, Berkeley (two lectures)

2004 The J.K. Russell Research Fellowship in Religion and Science, Center for Theology and Science, Berkeley (two lectures)

Management Experience

2024-2027: PI of Carnal: Eco-Ethical Articulations of Body, Meat, and Flesh (5,7 mill.; Velux Foundation)

2023-2028: PI & co-Director of Centre for Science and Faith at UCPH (10,2 mill DKK; Samfonden)

2016-2019: PM for theology of Protestant Nordic Law (ProNoLa) (8 mill. DKK; HERA Foundation) 

2014-2017 PI of The Danish Reformation Project (2,8 mio DKK, from Danish government).

2013-2017 Co-PI of the UCPH Excellence Program for Interdisciplinary Research, Changing Disasters (18,1 mio DKK)

2008-2013 Co-PI of the Centre for Naturalism & Christian Semantics at the Faculty of

Theology, funded by UCPH “Star Research Program” (14,2 mio DKK).

1993-2000 Founder and chair of the Løgstrup Archives, Aarhus University (c. 1,2 mio DKK).

1992-2003 Organizational leader of the Danish Science-Theology Forum, Aarhus University (50 DKK a year).

International Management Roles

2023-: President of International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR).

2017- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Faculty of Theology, Vienna.

2003-2010 Chairperson of the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France.

2002-2007 Co-founder (with John Polkinghorne et al.) and Trustee of International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR).

2002-2003 President of The Learned Society, Aarhus University.

1998-2002 Vice-President of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology

(ESSSAT), responsible for its publication program.

Editorial boards

2007-2014 Editor-in-chief of Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift (DTT).

2014-2019 Inaugural Editor of Philosophy, Theology, and the Sciences (PTSc).

Editorial boards: Philosophy, Theology, and the Sciences (2014-); Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift (1990-): Dialog: A Journal of Theology (1999-); Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science (2000-), Theology and Science (2004-), AGATHEOS: European Journal for Philosophy of Religion (2024-),.

Academic Awards and Honors

2016 Order of Dannebrog, conferred by Queen Margrethe II

1999 Award of $ 100.000 from Templeton Foundation for work on the constructive interface between science and religion.

1999 ‘Outstanding paper' award of $ 3.000 from the Templeton Foundation for the article, “The Idea of Creation and the Theory of Autopoietic Processes”, Zygon 33:1.

 Publications in numbers

Total +700 publications: + 200 journal papers, + 180 book chapters, 7 books, 3 co-authored books, some thirty edited or co-edited books. 

 Invited lectures

In Europe: Oxford, Cambridge, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, St. Andrews. Heidelberg, Tübingen, Munich, Augsburg, Düsseldorf, Halle. Paris, Lyon, Rome, Bologna, Madrid, Tallinn, Tartu, Krakow, St. Petersburg, Moscow.

In the Nordic: Lund, Gothenburg, Uppsala. Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger. Aarhus, Odense, Roskilde, Aalborg.

In the US: Princeton, Berkeley, Chicago, St. Paul, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Boston.

In Africa: University of South Africa, University of Cape Town, University of Durban, University of Stellenbosch.

In Asia: Beijing Normal University & Tsinghua University, Beijing; Fudan University & Tongi University, Shanghai; Nanjing University and Nanjing Theological Seminary, Universities in Wuhan and Chonqing.  Ryokoku University, Kyoto, Japan; Seoul Presbyterian Seminary & Kangnam University, Seoul.

In Australia: Canberra University.

Translations Parts of his work has been translated into ten languages (Swedish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Rumanian, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese).

 

Primary fields of research

Niels Henrik Gregersen's work focuses on two reasearch areas:

(1) How to develop a contemporary Christian theology in the context of secularized and multi-religious Western societies. Within systematic theology, he specializes in the theology of creation, but has written on most areas of Christian ideas and doctrine. 

(2) How to bring about a mutual interaction between science and religion that also allows religious reflection to be an active player. Within the field of science & religion, he specializes in the philosophy of evolutionary biology and the sciences of complexity.

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