William Arfman

William Arfman is an Assistant Professor at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology (Religion and Practice Department) at Tilburg University. His research focuses on ritual studies, particularly exploring the role of material culture in ritual dynamics amid societal forces like individualization and pluralism. He examines rituals in late modern society, including post-disaster commemoration and the cultural complexities of victimhood.
He teaches courses on religion and digital culture, religion-economics intersections, and research methodology. His work bridges ritual theory with contemporary issues such as migration crises and nonreligious belief systems.
Arfman co-edited Cultural Practices of Victimhood (2018) and contributes to academic associations like the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR). His recent publications analyze ritual selectivity in post-terror commemoration and methodological approaches to studying nonreligion.