Niels Christian Hvidt

Niels Christian Hvidt is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Research Unit for User Perspectives and Community-Based Interventions. He holds a ThD in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (2007) and a Master’s Degree from the University of Copenhagen (1998). His career spans interdisciplinary research bridging theology, public health, and palliative care, with extensive teaching and research experience in Denmark, Germany, and Italy.

• Education:
  • ThD (Doctoral dissertation, 2007) on 'Christian Prophecy – Its Preconditions, Function, and Status in the Church' from Pontifical Gregorian University
  • Proficiency Exam, Cambridge University (2001)
  • Advanced Expository Writing, Harvard Summer School (1999)
  • Master’s Degree in Divinity, University of Copenhagen (1998)

Research Interests
Niels focuses on spiritual care, religious coping, faith and health, theodicy, and patient belief in divine intervention. He coordinates international studies like Physician Characteristics in Various Cultures and Support of Psychosocial and Spiritual Needs in Medicine, using data from 9 nations via NERSH. His work explores conceptual issues in secular societies, spirituality in aging, and health behavior and religiousness through Danish twin studies.

Recent Articles
Niels’ recent work includes studies on spiritual needs in cancer patients, existential challenges in chronic illness, measurement tools for children's spirituality, and existential communication in healthcare. These span cross-sectional surveys, qualitative analyses, and psychometric validations, often linking to national registers and international data pools.

Honors and Appointments
Awarded the Gold Medal of University of Copenhagen (1997) for his dissertation, he has held visiting scholar roles at LMU Munich (2015-2018) and Duke University (2012). He founded the Interdisciplinary Nordic Network for Research in Faith and Health and contributed to the Zeitschrift für Spiritual Care editorial board.

Advising and Collaboration
He supervises PhD candidates like Stripp, T. A. and collaborates with institutions in Germany, the USA, and Denmark. His media contributions address controversies in health research and spiritual care practices.