About
Jo Spaans is a Researcher at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies within the College of Humanities at Utrecht University, with a focus on the intersection of religion and early modern Dutch culture. She holds a PhD in Theology from Leiden University, where her dissertation examined the Reformation's impact on Haarlem's religious and civic life. Her career spans positions at the University of Amsterdam, Free University Amsterdam, Fryske Akademy, and the University of Michigan.
Her research explores religious diversity, ecclesiastical discipline, and material culture in early modern Europe. She led the NWO-funded 'Faultline 1700' project on Enlightenment-era religion-state relations and served as a NIAS Research Fellow. Her work bridges academic and popular spheres through publications in journals like Early Modern Low Countries and Church History and Religious Culture, as well as contributions to public platforms such as Utrecht Religion Forum.
- 2010-2011: NIAS Research Fellow
- 2018-2021: Director, NWO 'Faultline 1700' project
- 2012: Published De Levens der Maechden on 17th-century religious women
Her recent publications analyze church personnel dynamics (2021), Spinoza's religious context (2021), and satirical representations (2019). She has co-organized international conferences and served on PhD examination committees.
