Dion Forster
@digitaldion.bsky.social
Husband, father, friend, servant - professor of Public Theology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, extraordinary professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Stellenbosch University (opinions my own)
Dearest friends, I am so grateful to deliver the Brian E. Beck memorial lecture at Wesley House, Cambridge on 22 January 2026. If you are in the area, please do join us!
Registration is open for January's Brian E Beck memorial lecture:
brianbeck.eventbrite.co.uk
Registration is open for January's Brian E Beck memorial lecture:
brianbeck.eventbrite.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Dearest friends, I am so grateful to deliver the Brian E. Beck memorial lecture at Wesley House, Cambridge on 22 January 2026. If you are in the area, please do join us!
Registration is open for January's Brian E Beck memorial lecture:
brianbeck.eventbrite.co.uk
Registration is open for January's Brian E Beck memorial lecture:
brianbeck.eventbrite.co.uk
🌍 Save the Date!
The Global Network for Public Theology meets in Amsterdam 19–23 Oct 2026, hosted at @VUamsterdam.
Theme: Public Theology in a Fractured World.
📅 Call for papers: early Jan 2026
📝 Registration: March (capped at ~100)
More soon!
#GNPT2026 #PublicTheology
The Global Network for Public Theology meets in Amsterdam 19–23 Oct 2026, hosted at @VUamsterdam.
Theme: Public Theology in a Fractured World.
📅 Call for papers: early Jan 2026
📝 Registration: March (capped at ~100)
More soon!
#GNPT2026 #PublicTheology
November 29, 2025 at 12:27 PM
🌍 Save the Date!
The Global Network for Public Theology meets in Amsterdam 19–23 Oct 2026, hosted at @VUamsterdam.
Theme: Public Theology in a Fractured World.
📅 Call for papers: early Jan 2026
📝 Registration: March (capped at ~100)
More soon!
#GNPT2026 #PublicTheology
The Global Network for Public Theology meets in Amsterdam 19–23 Oct 2026, hosted at @VUamsterdam.
Theme: Public Theology in a Fractured World.
📅 Call for papers: early Jan 2026
📝 Registration: March (capped at ~100)
More soon!
#GNPT2026 #PublicTheology
A major milestone! The social identity complexity concept I developed in my 2006 PhD has become an empirically tested theory!
An Acta Theologica special issue honours Prof Chris Hermans with work by him, my former PhD students, colleagues, and myself.
journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at...
An Acta Theologica special issue honours Prof Chris Hermans with work by him, my former PhD students, colleagues, and myself.
journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at...
November 26, 2025 at 6:17 AM
A major milestone! The social identity complexity concept I developed in my 2006 PhD has become an empirically tested theory!
An Acta Theologica special issue honours Prof Chris Hermans with work by him, my former PhD students, colleagues, and myself.
journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at...
An Acta Theologica special issue honours Prof Chris Hermans with work by him, my former PhD students, colleagues, and myself.
journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at...
We are so grateful, so blessed! Our daughter Courtney got engaged to Darren yesterday! What a beautiful couple! Such joy, such hope, such love! Please join us in giving thanks!
November 23, 2025 at 7:07 AM
We are so grateful, so blessed! Our daughter Courtney got engaged to Darren yesterday! What a beautiful couple! Such joy, such hope, such love! Please join us in giving thanks!
Today I have the privilege of doing a public lecture at the Reutlingen School of Theology. I was asked to speak on Public Theology for times of crisis.
I am looking forward to this engagement with Methodist siblings from around Europe a great deal! @theologischehochschule
I am looking forward to this engagement with Methodist siblings from around Europe a great deal! @theologischehochschule
November 21, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Today I have the privilege of doing a public lecture at the Reutlingen School of Theology. I was asked to speak on Public Theology for times of crisis.
I am looking forward to this engagement with Methodist siblings from around Europe a great deal! @theologischehochschule
I am looking forward to this engagement with Methodist siblings from around Europe a great deal! @theologischehochschule
The European commuters 😂😝☔️🏂 ⛄️
November 20, 2025 at 7:45 AM
The European commuters 😂😝☔️🏂 ⛄️
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx (funnier than Karl)
Ha ha! Every now and then, I do miss my old office with shelves and shelves of books 📚
- Groucho Marx (funnier than Karl)
Ha ha! Every now and then, I do miss my old office with shelves and shelves of books 📚
November 18, 2025 at 5:52 AM
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx (funnier than Karl)
Ha ha! Every now and then, I do miss my old office with shelves and shelves of books 📚
- Groucho Marx (funnier than Karl)
Ha ha! Every now and then, I do miss my old office with shelves and shelves of books 📚
Today is our son Liam’s 19th birthday! He was born premature (3 months early, at 26 weeks, weighing less than 1kg) - the size of that little teddy. Today he is a strong and healthy young man, with a love for Jesus and a good heart! We are so grateful! Please give thanks with us!!
November 16, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Today is our son Liam’s 19th birthday! He was born premature (3 months early, at 26 weeks, weighing less than 1kg) - the size of that little teddy. Today he is a strong and healthy young man, with a love for Jesus and a good heart! We are so grateful! Please give thanks with us!!
“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found it is small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
November 13, 2025 at 9:12 AM
“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found it is small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
What a blessing to have my dear colleague Prof Demaine Solomons from Stellenbosch University (who did his PhD at VU Amsterdam a decade ago!), and my PhD student, Jonathan Tysick who lives in Cape Town, visit me at @vuamsterdam a busy week! Yes, I am growing a #Movember beard! 😜
November 12, 2025 at 7:34 PM
What a blessing to have my dear colleague Prof Demaine Solomons from Stellenbosch University (who did his PhD at VU Amsterdam a decade ago!), and my PhD student, Jonathan Tysick who lives in Cape Town, visit me at @vuamsterdam a busy week! Yes, I am growing a #Movember beard! 😜
Today I had the privilege of co-teaching my class on Religion, Trauma and Violence with my dear colleague Dr. Razi Quadir. It is such a joy to learn alongside others, and the students at Amsterdam University College where Dr. Srdjan Sremac and I teach this course, are amazing! I am grateful!
November 10, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Today I had the privilege of co-teaching my class on Religion, Trauma and Violence with my dear colleague Dr. Razi Quadir. It is such a joy to learn alongside others, and the students at Amsterdam University College where Dr. Srdjan Sremac and I teach this course, are amazing! I am grateful!
It was such a special day with colleagues from the PThU International Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University and The University of the Western Cape at a longstanding collaborative conference (I first attended in 2014, and every year since).
Deep friendships, rich theological reflection!
Deep friendships, rich theological reflection!
November 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
It was such a special day with colleagues from the PThU International Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University and The University of the Western Cape at a longstanding collaborative conference (I first attended in 2014, and every year since).
Deep friendships, rich theological reflection!
Deep friendships, rich theological reflection!
This morning I spoke with Lester Kiewiet on CapeTalk about how Donald #Trump is instrumentalising Nigerian suffering to pander to his populist voter base. This has very little to do with #Nigeria it is a populist tactic that is dangerous and ill-informed.
Read here: doi.org/10.5117/KT20...
Read here: doi.org/10.5117/KT20...
November 4, 2025 at 6:06 AM
This morning I spoke with Lester Kiewiet on CapeTalk about how Donald #Trump is instrumentalising Nigerian suffering to pander to his populist voter base. This has very little to do with #Nigeria it is a populist tactic that is dangerous and ill-informed.
Read here: doi.org/10.5117/KT20...
Read here: doi.org/10.5117/KT20...
Bakfiets. Havermelk. Existentiële vragen. Het complete Amsterdam-pakket.
November 1, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Bakfiets. Havermelk. Existentiële vragen. Het complete Amsterdam-pakket.
A blessed Reformation Day! I give thanks for the Church in its various forms throughout history and the world. I am grateful for this community of imperfect people that nurtures faith, offers care, works for justice and seeks to be faithful. May we be more like Jesus, the one who lives for others.
October 31, 2025 at 11:32 AM
A blessed Reformation Day! I give thanks for the Church in its various forms throughout history and the world. I am grateful for this community of imperfect people that nurtures faith, offers care, works for justice and seeks to be faithful. May we be more like Jesus, the one who lives for others.
Please join me in congratulating (soon to be!) Dr @elijahkeay who defended his PhD this afternoon, @stellenboschuni
After some corrections, Elijah will graduate and the dissertation will be published. It was a joy to supervise alongside my friend and colleague Prof. @robert_vosloo1
After some corrections, Elijah will graduate and the dissertation will be published. It was a joy to supervise alongside my friend and colleague Prof. @robert_vosloo1
October 29, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Please join me in congratulating (soon to be!) Dr @elijahkeay who defended his PhD this afternoon, @stellenboschuni
After some corrections, Elijah will graduate and the dissertation will be published. It was a joy to supervise alongside my friend and colleague Prof. @robert_vosloo1
After some corrections, Elijah will graduate and the dissertation will be published. It was a joy to supervise alongside my friend and colleague Prof. @robert_vosloo1
Blessings to my Dutch friends voting today. May love outshine fear, justice guide your choices, and hope lead the way forward for all.
October 29, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Blessings to my Dutch friends voting today. May love outshine fear, justice guide your choices, and hope lead the way forward for all.
LLMs don’t reflect humanity they reflect a subset, trained on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) data. Models like GPT mirror Anglo-American moral and cultural norms.
Cultural dominance in data = cultural dominance in AI.
Study: scholar.harvard.edu/sites/schola...
Cultural dominance in data = cultural dominance in AI.
Study: scholar.harvard.edu/sites/schola...
October 25, 2025 at 10:51 AM
LLMs don’t reflect humanity they reflect a subset, trained on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) data. Models like GPT mirror Anglo-American moral and cultural norms.
Cultural dominance in data = cultural dominance in AI.
Study: scholar.harvard.edu/sites/schola...
Cultural dominance in data = cultural dominance in AI.
Study: scholar.harvard.edu/sites/schola...
Yesterday I made the final edits to the new book that @vonsinnerrudolf and I have done on Public Theologies in Brazil and South Africa. I have sent the manuscript to the series editor for final review and approval!
It is an amazing project, the fruit of a long friendship!
It is an amazing project, the fruit of a long friendship!
October 23, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Yesterday I made the final edits to the new book that @vonsinnerrudolf and I have done on Public Theologies in Brazil and South Africa. I have sent the manuscript to the series editor for final review and approval!
It is an amazing project, the fruit of a long friendship!
It is an amazing project, the fruit of a long friendship!
Yesterday was the Master’s Graduation for Peace, Trauma and Religion and Research Master’s at @VUamsterdam.
Congratulations to all, especially to my students Joel Hannas (cum laude), Zuzana van de Weijer, Job van Lobenstein (cum laude).
It’s a privilege to journey with you. 🎓✨ #VUA #theology #peace
Congratulations to all, especially to my students Joel Hannas (cum laude), Zuzana van de Weijer, Job van Lobenstein (cum laude).
It’s a privilege to journey with you. 🎓✨ #VUA #theology #peace
October 17, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Dear friends,
You are invited to a public lecture entitled: ‘The Bread of Angels: A Phenomenological Reading of Evagrius Ponticus’
by Dr Khegan Delport, 27 October 2025, 14.00-15.30 At: VU Amsterdam, Room NU-02A55
Or online, contact Dion Forster for the link.
You are invited to a public lecture entitled: ‘The Bread of Angels: A Phenomenological Reading of Evagrius Ponticus’
by Dr Khegan Delport, 27 October 2025, 14.00-15.30 At: VU Amsterdam, Room NU-02A55
Or online, contact Dion Forster for the link.
October 16, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Dear friends,
You are invited to a public lecture entitled: ‘The Bread of Angels: A Phenomenological Reading of Evagrius Ponticus’
by Dr Khegan Delport, 27 October 2025, 14.00-15.30 At: VU Amsterdam, Room NU-02A55
Or online, contact Dion Forster for the link.
You are invited to a public lecture entitled: ‘The Bread of Angels: A Phenomenological Reading of Evagrius Ponticus’
by Dr Khegan Delport, 27 October 2025, 14.00-15.30 At: VU Amsterdam, Room NU-02A55
Or online, contact Dion Forster for the link.
A hearty congratulations to the students from @vuamsterdam School of Religion and Theology and @pthu_nl students who graduated with the Bachelor of Theology, or Bachelor of Religion and Theology, degree today. It was wonderful to celebrate your hard work with families, friends!
October 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A hearty congratulations to the students from @vuamsterdam School of Religion and Theology and @pthu_nl students who graduated with the Bachelor of Theology, or Bachelor of Religion and Theology, degree today. It was wonderful to celebrate your hard work with families, friends!
Today I had the privilege of joining fellow new professors from @vuamsterdam for a luncheon hosted by our Rector, Prof. dr. Jeroen Geurts. A moment to reflect on hope-filled education and to give thanks for the students, colleagues, and opportunities that made this possible.
October 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Today I had the privilege of joining fellow new professors from @vuamsterdam for a luncheon hosted by our Rector, Prof. dr. Jeroen Geurts. A moment to reflect on hope-filled education and to give thanks for the students, colleagues, and opportunities that made this possible.
It was a stunning ride to the office this morning! I have a radio interview and then a class, so I came in early. It was worth it! The beautiful mist, and a calm campus! So grateful!
October 9, 2025 at 6:11 AM
It was a stunning ride to the office this morning! I have a radio interview and then a class, so I came in early. It was worth it! The beautiful mist, and a calm campus! So grateful!
We are so grateful! Liam got his Dutch driver’s license today! Well done Lee! May you have many safe and fun years of driving! 🚗🙌🎊❤️
October 8, 2025 at 5:39 PM
We are so grateful! Liam got his Dutch driver’s license today! Well done Lee! May you have many safe and fun years of driving! 🚗🙌🎊❤️