Hent de Vries

Hent de Vries is the Paulette Goddard Professor of the Humanities at New York University, holding joint appointments in Religious Studies, German, and Comparative Literature, and affiliated with the Philosophy department. He chairs the Department of Religious Studies and has held prestigious roles such as Director of the Summer School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University. His research focuses on metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and the intersection of religion and law. De Vries earned his BA/MA and PhD from Leiden University, with a dissertation on Adorno, Levinas, Habermas, and Derrida.

He has authored seven monographs and edited over ten volumes, including works on minimal theologies and secular reason. His editorial role as head of Stanford's 'Cultural Memory in the Present' series has produced over 200 titles. Notable awards include the 2020 Prix du Rayonnement de la langue et de la littérature françaises from the Académie Française.

De Vries has directed major research initiatives, including a €5.4 million NWO program on the religious past's future, and advised the Dutch government on faith in public policy. His current projects explore miracles, moral perfectionism, and deep pragmatism. His academic contributions span philosophy, religious studies, and interdisciplinary cultural analysis, reflecting his global academic engagements.