The Center offers the opportunity to study Pentecostalism in all its diversity at graduate and post-graduate level, for students from the Netherlands as well as from abroad. The book- and magazine collection of prof. dr. W.J. Hollenweger, who gave his name to the Center, is housed in the library of the VU University Amsterdam. The archive material is accessible through in the Historical Documentation Centre.
The Hollenweger Center cooperates with the Herman Bavinck Center for Reformed and Evangelical Theology. On behalf of the Faculty of Religion and Theology, prof. dr. C. van der Kooi and dr. M. Klaver are part of the Steering Group of the Hollenweger Center.
In 2017 the Faculty of Religion and Theology in cooperation with the Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Netherlands (CWN) has assigned Miranda Klaver the research position Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity. She is also appointed as director of the Hollenweger Center.
Together with universities in Heidelberg, Birmingham, London (SOAS), Basel and Uppsala, the Hollenweger Center participates in the European Research Network on Global Pentecostalism (GloPent). GloPent organizes biennial conferences and publishes the interdisciplinary journal PentecoStudies.
More Information
dr. M. Klaver
Tel. (020) 5988363
E-mail: m.klaver@vu.nl
Walter Hollenweger 01-06-1927 – 10-08-2016
The Swiss theologian Walter Hollenweger passed away August 10, 2016. In the academic world of theology and religious studies, he is known as the founding father of Pentecostal Studies. His Pentecostal background and early career as a Pentecostal pastor and evangelist set the stage for his later career when he devoted more than half a century to the study of Pentecostal history and theology. As a pioneer, he was among the first to study Pentecostalism at a time when Pentecostalism was of little interest of scholars and regarded as a marginal topic. He gained his Doctor in Theology from Zurich University in 1966 with his dissertation on the world wide Pentecostal movement Handbuch der Pfingstbeweging. He became member of the Swiss Reformed Church and was appointed as Secretary for Evangelism in the Division of World Mission and Evangelism of the World Counsel of Churches (WCC) in 1965. With his ecumenical experience he played a significant part in establishing dialogue between groups within the WCC and those outside (evangelicals and Pentecostals). In 1971 Hollenweger moved to Birmingham where he became Professor of Mission until 1989. There he introduced the term intercultural theology, relativizing the dominance and normativity of western theology for all cultures. Also, he was among the first theologians to broaden the concept of theology by emphasizing the relevance of oral culture and narrative theology. This is - next to his extensive academic work - demonstrated in his enthusiasm for drama, plays and performance as he wrote many plays most notable the Bonhoeffer Requiem at the 1987 Kirchentag in Berlin.
Out of his encouragement, several research networks have been established such as the European Network on the study of Global Pentecostalism (GloPent) and the European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association (EPCRA). The University in Birmingham honors him annually with the Walter Hollenweger lecture
Hollenweger was in a unique way able to integrate the heritage of his Pentecostal background in his academic career by adopting a critical approach to Pentecostalism, facilitating dialogue within the larger Christian community and developing the study of intercultural theology. With the passing away of Hollenweger, a remarkable scholar has gone.