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Dr Matthijs van den Bos

Positions held:
  • Lecturer, School of Social Sciences
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Previous academic functions:

    Postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES), University of Amsterdam.

    Postdoctoral research fellow at the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM), Leiden.

    PhD researcher at the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research (ASSR), University of Amsterdam.

    Lecturing at the University of Amsterdam and University College Utrecht.

    Highlights

    • Selected Publications

      For an overview, see http://birkbeck.academia.edu/MatthijsvandenBos


    • van den Bos, M. 2020. Shiite Patterns of Post-Migration in Europe. Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations 31 (1): 1-22.

    • van den Bos, M. 2020. "The Sociology of Shiᶜite Islam," in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Sociology of Religion (eds) A. Possamai & A. Blasi. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications, pp. 751-53.

    • van den Bos, M. 2018. The Balance of Ecumenism and Sectarianism. Rethinking Religion and Foreign Policy in Iran. Journal of Political Ideologies 23 (1): 30-53.

    • van den Bos, M. 2016. Conjectures on Solṭānᶜalīshāh, the Valāyat-nāme and Shiite Sufi Authority. Sociology of Islam 3 (3-4): 190-207.

    • van den Bos, M. 2012. European Shiism? Counterpoints from Shiites’ organization in Britain and the Netherlands. Ethnicities 12 (5): 556-80.

    • van den Bos, M. 2006. Hyperlinked Dutch-Iranian Cyberspace. International Sociology 21 (1): 83-99.

    • van den Bos, M. 2002. Mystic Regimes. Sufism and the State in Iran, from the late Qajar era to the Islamic Republic. Leiden: Brill.

    Professional memberships

    • Middle East Studies Association (MESA) [2003-2012]

    • Association of Members of the Institute for Advanced Study (AMIAS)

  • Research

    Research

    Research overview

    My research focuses on migration and integration, Shiite Islam, Sufism, geopolitics and religion, political anthropology/sociology, democratization, and new media.

    Regionally, my interests extend to Iran, the Middle East, Tajikistan, and Europe (e.g., Shiism in Britain, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and France).

    My PhD dissertation, Mystic Regimes, investigates the long-term socio-political development and cultural survival of Shiite Sufi orders in Iran.

    Other research I have undertaken since concerns further work on Shiite Sufism, cultural migration, and Dutch-Iranian online and offline transnational networks.

    My current research foci are European Shiism and (global) Shiite geopolitics, involving both its religious foreign policy formation and transnational alliances.

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within Birkbeck:
    1

    Primary interests in supervision include Shiite politics; Iranian and Islamic foreign policy; post-migration ethnicity; European Islam; and migration and integration.

    I am also interested in supervision involving Tajikistan; East and West relations; Iranian diasporas; democratization in the Middle East; and new media.

    I am happy to take on the PhD supervision of serious candidates with well thought-through proposals evidencing high potential and viable projects.

    If you are interested in pursuing research in any of these areas, you should first read our advice on how to apply for MPhil/PhD before submitting an application.

    Teaching

    Formerly at Birkbeck: Nationalism in International Context (PG); Islamist Movements (PG); Comparative Studies in Islamist Movements (UG); Politics and the Middle East (UG); Authority in Shiite Islam (UG); and Modern Iran (Cert.HE).

    Teaching modules

    • Nationalism, Religion, and Conflict (POSO044S7)
    • Transformations in Modern Politics: Democracy, Conflict and Globalisation (SSPO265S4)
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    Book Section

    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2020) The sociology of Shiᶜite Islam. In: Possamai, A. and Blasi, A.J. (eds.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Sociology of Religion. Sage. pp. 751-753. ISBN 9781473942202.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2020) Dakanī, Riḍā ʿAlī Shāh. In: Fleet, K. and Krämer, G. and Matringe, D. and Nawas, J. and Rowson, E. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islam. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 15-17. ISBN 9789004413443.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2019) Maᶜṣūm ᶜAlī Shāh Dakanī. In: Fleet, K. and Krämer, G. and Matringe, D. and Nawas, J. and Rowson, E. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islam III. Brill Online Reference Works. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 138-141. ISBN 9789004386631.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2015) ᶜAbd al-Ḥusayn Munis ᶜAlī Shāh. In: Fleet, K. and Krämer, G. and Matringe, D. and Nawas, J. and Rowson, E. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islam III. Brill Online Reference Works. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2013) Gunābādiyya. In: Fleet, K. and Krämer, G. and Matringe, D. and Nawas, J. and Rowson, E. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islam III. Encyclopaedia of Islam Three. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 148-152. ISBN 9789004252691.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2012) Elements of neo-traditional Sufism in Iran. In: Van Bruinessen, M. and Howell, J.D. (eds.) Sufism and the Modern in Islam. London, UK: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9781780763798.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2012) ‘European Islam’ in the Iranian Ettehadiyeh. In: Ridgeon, L. (ed.) Shi'i Islam and Identity: Religion, Politics and Change in the Global Muslim Community. London, UK: I.B. Tauris. pp. 64-92. ISBN 9781848856493.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2012) Dhahabiyya. In: Fleet, K. and Krämer, G. and Matringe, D. and Nawas, J. and Rowson, E. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islam III. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 118-121. ISBN 1873-9830 (Series).
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2008) Sufi authority in Khatami’s Iran. In: Ridgeon, L. (ed.) Sufism 4V. Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies. Oxford, UK: Routledge. pp. 203-233. ISBN 9780415419437.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2008) Unsur-unsur Sufisme Neo-Tradisional di Iran. In: Van Bruinessen, M. and Howell, J.D. (eds.) Urban Sufism. Jakarta, Indonesia: Rajawali Pers. pp. 63-88. ISBN 9789797692247.

    Other

    External Repositories