Fred van Lieburg is Professor of Religious History in the Faculty of Humanities, Director of History Studies, and co-ordinator of the Amsterdam Centre for Religious History, which is affiliated with the CLUE+ Research Institute for Culture, History and Heritage.
In essence or method, religious history is the same as history of religion(s). In German and Dutch, you can speak of Religionsgeschichte or religiegeschiedenis/godsdienstgeschiedenis. In English and French, different terms are in use, reflecting the different traditions in the disciplines of theology and history. History of religion(s)/histoire des religions is commonly associated with comparative studies of (non-Christian) religions, while religious history/histoire religieuse developed as a specialisation within general history (mostly concerned with Christianity and therefore close to what is known as church history or ecclesiastical history).
From education and research experience, Van Lieburg represents the field of general history with a focus on the religious factor in cultural, social and political realities. However, he is keen on the convergence and integration of various research traditions by means of conceptual exchange, cross-disciplinary approaches and linked scholarly networks. Given the interest of global dimensions and long-term developments, computer-assisted research of digitised sources is recommandable for doing religious history today.
