Kees de Groot

Prof. Kees de Groot is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Practice at Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University. He holds the KSGV Chair in Sociology of Worldviews and Public Mental Health (since 2019). His research focuses on ritual dynamics, the intersection of religion and popular culture (particularly comics), and the 'liquidation' of religion in secular spaces. He coordinates the Center for Religion in the Public Sphere (CRiPS) with Prof. Peter Achterberg and Dr. Suzanne Klein Schaarsberg.

Education and Career: Previously held roles include Assistant Professor (2002–2024) at Tilburg, lecturerships at Utrecht and Nijmegen theological institutions, and consultancy for church development in Rotterdam (1998–2002). His career spans teaching, research, and practical ministry.

Research Interests:

• Care: Transition from chaplaincy to secular social care (e.g., MST Mensen in beeld houden project)
• Popular Culture: Comics as religious alternatives (edited Comics, Culture and Religion)
• Public Domain: Liquid religion in Dutch society via CRiPS initiatives

Publications: Over 250 outputs including Comics and Religion in Liquid Modernity (2023), studies on St. Martin's Day parades, and analyses of religious symbolism in Dutch media. Recent work addresses secularization paradoxes and the role of spirituality in mental health.

Awards: Essayprijs 2000 (Dutch sociological essay award), Full member of international academic society (2021), and Visiting Professorship (2017).

Advising & Grants: Supervising PhD projects on faith-based care (Christel Teekman) and spirituality in coaching (Jedidja van Boven). Active in research networks like COST Action 20107 on migration and religious diversity.

Labs/Teams: Coordinates CRiPS, collaborates with Agder University on comics research, and advises prison chaplaincy programs for the Dutch justice department.