Arwin van Wilgenburg, born in Andelst, the Netherlands, in 1979. Ph.D. from Utrecht University. Assistant Professor in the History of Ideas, Utrecht University.
Fellow (1 September 2008 – 30 June 2009)
THE TRIALOGUE BETWEEN AUGUSTINE AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY IN GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY
My stay at NIAS surpassed all my expectations! The quiet, beautiful environment helped me to concentrate on my work. Every day, I had chats and discussions on various topics during lunch with fellows of different backgrounds and with different interests. Thanks to all NIAS seminars, trips, and recitals, my general knowledge was broadened in many ways.
As a member of the theme group “The Modern and Post-modern Augustine” I got the opportunity to learn a lot from my colleagues about my own field of research. The theme group meetings were very fruitful because of the lively discussions and all the comments I received on my drafts. Exempted from further obligations, I had the time to study the major works of Adolf von Harnack and to write some articles on Harnack’s reception of Augustine. The daily interactions with the members of the theme group and other fellows, was very inspiring and opened up new perspectives. Moreover, NIAS staff was always very kind and supported me adequately. To conclude: spending a year at NIAS was a highly cultural experience. I consider my stay as a great advantage for both my academic career and general development.