Johan Leemans

Johan Leemans serves as Full Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, where he chairs the Research Unit for the History of Church and Theology. His institutional affiliations include:

• Member of LECTIO – KU Leuven Institute for the Study of the Transmission of Texts, Ideas and Images in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
• Senior academic staff member of the Faculty Council of Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor for multiple doctoral candidates through his role as promotor

Leemans' research centers on Greek Patristic literature and early Christian theological development, with specialized focus on perfection concepts in late antiquity, Cappadocian Fathers' exegesis, and biblical interpretation in patristic sermons. His methodological approach integrates historical, literary, and theological analysis to examine how early Christian thinkers engaged with classical philosophy and scriptural texts. Key research trajectories include the reception of Philo of Alexandria, ascetic ideals in monastic literature, and the interplay between idealized spiritual perfection and practical reality in ancient religious communities.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent thematic continuity across his scholarly output, with 8 major works published since 2023 addressing core interests in patristic exegesis and perfection theology. His editorial work on Longing for Perfection in Late Antiquity establishes critical frameworks for comparative analysis of pagan and Christian perfection concepts. Current research outputs frequently examine textual transmission mechanisms and the adaptation of philosophical concepts within early Christian theological frameworks.

As an active research leader, Leemans currently directs seven major projects including Beyond 'the Eye of the Needle': A Historical, Literary, and Theological Analysis of Clement of Alexandria's Quis dives salvetur? (2023-2027) and New perspectives on the absence of the Parousia (2024-2025), securing substantial institutional funding for collaborative international research. His supervisory portfolio includes doctoral candidates investigating Cappadocian textual traditions and early Christian Arabic theology.

Leemans directs the Research Unit for the History of Church and Theology, which maintains extensive manuscript collections and digital resources for patristic studies. Through LECTIO, he contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives connecting textual scholarship with digital humanities approaches to ancient religious traditions.