Curriculum Vitae

Prof. Dr. Basilius J. Groen

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Name
Basilius Jacobus Groen (called: Bert)

Private Address
Mariagrüner-Strasse 6b
8043 Graz, Austria
Tel. 0043.316.680552
Mobile Phone 0043.676.3153286

Office Address
Institute for Liturgy, Christian Art and Hymnology,
UNESCO-Chair of Intercultural and Inter-Religious Dialogue in South-Eastern Europe
University of Graz
Heinrichstrasse 78
8010 Graz, Austria
Tel. 0043.316.3806200 or 3806201
Email: bert.groen@uni-graz.at

Place and Day of Birth
De Rijp, the Netherlands, 22 July 1953

Ecclesial Affiliation
Roman Catholic

Civil Status
Married to Anna Grabowska (born 15 September 1955 in Warsaw, Poland)
Daughter: Hanna; Son-in-law: Jean Michel Elame Mbappou; Grandson: Joël Durcin

Knowledge of Languages
Dutch (mother tongue), English (fluent), German (fluent), French (fluent), Modern Greek (fluent), Italian (fluent), Polish (fair)
Reading knowledge: Latin (very good), Ancient Greek (very good), Biblical Hebrew (fair), Spanish (fair)

Education, Scholarships, Fellowships and Professional Positions

1965-1971
Gymnasium A (Maurick-College, Vught, the Netherlands)
18 May 1971: Final examination

1971-1972
High School (Jamestown High School, North Dakota, USA)
25 May 1972: Graduation

April 1972: North Dakota State Champion in Speech, section Oral Book Review; second place at the North Dakota State Drama Contest

1972-1975
Study of philosophy, theology and Modern Greek, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Member of the Faculty’s Advisory Council for Education
18 April 1976: Public defence of the bachelor’s thesis “Gebedsgenezing: Bijbels fundament en huidige praktijk” (“Faith Healing: Biblical Foundation and Current Practice”), Amsterdam-Nijmegen 1976, 78 pp., Catholic University of Nijmegen, and bachelor’s examination in theology (summa cum laude)

1975-1980
Study of practical theology in Amsterdam (Catholic Theological University of Amsterdam and Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Amsterdam)

Member of the University Council and the Committee for Scientific Research Managing editor of the university’s internal periodical Katharsis Assistant for liturgical studies (1975-1976 and 1979) Pastoral internship in the hospital Elisabeth Gasthuis in Haarlem (September 1977 - January 1978)

15 February 1980: Public defence of the master thesis “De viering van de ziekenzalving in een algemeen ziekenhuis” (“The Celebration of the Anointing of the Sick in a General Hospital”), Amsterdam 1980, VIII + 197 pp., Catholic Theological University of Amsterdam (summa cum laude). “Drs. Theol.” (“Master of Theology”)

1980-1981
Research in Trier, Germany: Liturgical studies and history of art (Theological Faculty Trier and German Liturgical Institute)
Grantee of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, Bonn
Follow-up courses in Byzantine and Modern Greek at the University of Bonn

1981-1984
Research in Thessalonica on Byzantine Orthodox rites, art and palaeography (Aristotle University and Patriarchal Institute for the Study of the Church Fathers)
Field research in Thessalonica, Athens, on Mount Athos and in villages of Macedonia on rites for the sick and dying
Grantee of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (4 months) and of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (3 years)

1984-1985
Research in Nijmegen: Redacting and editing the results of the Greek field work
Grantee of the Netherlands’ Organisation for Scientific Research

1987-1991
Junior lecturer at the University of Nijmegen
Main task: Preparation of the foundation of a new scientific institute, viz. the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies

Activities:

Organization of teaching, research, staff and library
Acquisition of financial means and other financial affairs
Integration of the new institute within the university

16 January 1991
Public defence of the dissertation on the anointing of the sick in the Greek Orthodox Church at the University of Nijmegen

15 November 1991
Official opening of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies

1991-1995
Director of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies
Main tasks: Management of the institute; co-ordination of teaching and research; publicity; acquisition of financial means; integration of the scholarly periodical Het Christelijk Oosten within the institute; extension of the library

1995-2002
Senior lecturer (research and teaching) at the University of Nijmegen and the Institute for Eastern Christian Studies

Member of the editorial team of the periodical Het Christelijk Oosten, later (from 2002) entitled The Journal of Eastern Christian Studies;
Editor-in-chief of The Journal of Eastern Christian Studies (2001-2002)
Member of the editorial team of Eastern Christian Studies (series of monographs)

Librarian of the Institute (1998-2002). Size of the library: about 30,000 volumes

October 1996-March 1998
Visiting professor of the study of Eastern Christianity and Ecumenism at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Münster, Germany

November 1997 - May 1998: Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation for research on ‘Nationalism in South-Eastern European Orthodoxy’ at the University of Münster

2002-present
Full Professor of liturgy and sacramental theology at the University of Graz, Austria
Head of the Institute for Liturgy, Christian Art and Hymnology at the University of Graz

UNESCO-Professor of Intercultural and Inter-Religious Dialogue in South-Eastern Europe (from 2007)

Dean of Research and Vice-Dean of the Theological Faculty (October 2005–September 2007)
Main tasks: coordination of research; setting up new research programmes; (with the dean and the dean of students) management of the theological faculty

Head of the Library Committee of the Theological Faculty (2003-2007)
Main task: uniting 14 autonomous libraries into 1 new faculty library; organization of staff and finances
28 September 2008: Inauguration of the new library (size: about 150,000 volumes)

Head of the Graz section of the ecumenical Pro Oriente Foundation, Graz-Vienna (from March 2005) and member of the foundation’s board of governors in Vienna
Consultor of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference for ecumenism

March-September 2008
Sabbatical stay in Rome: Research at the Pontifical Oriental Institute and the “Ateneo Sant’Anselmo” (Theological Faculty and Pontifical Liturgical Institute)

Organization of International Conferences (selection)

The Empress Theophano, Byzantium and the West 950-1050, joint conference of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, the A.A. Bredius Foundation and the Institute of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Groningen, 30-31 May 1991, Hernen Castle near Nijmegen

Palästina im Laufe der Jahrhunderte, joint conference of the A.A. Bredius Foundation and the Institute of Byzantine Studies of the University of Münster, May 1992, Hernen Castle

Four Hundred Years Union of Brest (1596-1996): A Critical Re-evaluation, joint conference of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies and the Interuniversity Institute for Missiological and Ecumenical Research (Utrecht) in cooperation with the A.A. Bredius Foundation and the University of Nijmegen, 28-30 March 1996, Hernen Castle

Réconciliation et conversion dans les églises orientales, l’islam et le judaïsme, organized together with the other members of the executive committee of the ‘Commission Oecuménique Internationale de l’Assomption’, 20-29 August 1999, Jerusalem

Liturgie und Trinität: Internationaler Kongress der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholischer Liturgiedozenten und –dozentinnen, 6-10 September 2004, Seggauberg near Graz

Second International Congress of the Society of Oriental Liturgy, organized together with the other members of the executive board of the Society of Oriental Liturgy, 17-21 September 2008, Rome

Membership of Associations and Committees

Societas Liturgica
Society of Oriental Liturgy (member of the executive board and Euro treasurer)
Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholischer Liturgiedozenten und -dozentinnen im deutschen Sprachgebiet (chairman of the Austrian section)
Liturgiewissenschaftliche Gesellschaft Klosterneuburg
Genootschap voor Liturgiestudie
Liturgical Committee of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference
Diocesan Liturgical Committee, Diocese of Graz-Seckau

Societas Oecumenica
Pro Oriente Foundation (head of the Graz section; member of the board of governors in Vienna; theological expert and consultor)
Gesellschaft für das Studium des Christlichen Ostens
Saint Irenaeus International Joint Catholic-Orthodox Theological Study Group
Katholieke Vereniging voor Oecumene Athanasius en Willibrord
Ecumenical Forum of the Styrian Christian Churches (2004-2008)
Diocesan Ecumenical Committee, Diocese of Graz-Seckau
Commission Oecuménique Internationale de l’Assomption (member of the executive committee, 1993-2001)
Apostolaat voor de Oosterse Kerken / Actie en Ontmoeting Oosterse Kerken (“Apostolic Care of Eastern Churches”) (1986-1998) (member of the board of governors)
Oost-West-Beraad (“East-West Consultation: Advisory Committee of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference regarding Christianity in Eastern Europe”) (1989-2000)

UNESCO / UNITWIN network of chairs for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue
European Society of Catholic Theology, Austrian section
Netherlands Research School for Theological and Religious Studies, NOSTER (1997-2002)

"Humboldtians": Alumni of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Vereniging van Afgestudeerden van de Katholieke Theologische Universiteit (“Association of Alumni of the Catholic Theological University”)

European Association for Modern Greek Studies, Austrian and Dutch sections
Association Internationale des Amis de Nikos Kazantzakis (chairman of the Austrian section)
Association Internationale des Études Byzantines, Austrian section
A. A. Bredius-Foundation of Byzantine Studies (member of the board of governors)

Christian-Jewish Society in Trier (1980-1981)
Styrian Christian-Jewish Committee (2002-2005)
Afro-Asiatic Institute, Diocese of Graz-Seckau (board of governors)
Katholiek Studiecentrum voor de geestelijke volksgezondheid (“Catholic Centre for Public Mental Health”)
Pax Christi Internationalis, Dutch section (1985-2002), Austrian section (from 2003)

National Honor Society (American High Schools’ top students, 1971-1972)

The CV can be downloaded here (PDF).

Curriculum Vitae Prof. Dr. Basilius J. Groen

Curriculum Vitae

Prof. Dr. Basilius J. Groen