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Dr Matthijs van den Bos

Positions held:
  • Senior 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,聽see

    • van den Bos, M. 2026. European Shi士ism. Peripheral Engagement and Religious Retention. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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

    • van den Bos, M. 2020. "The Sociology of Shi士ite 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 Sol峁乶士al墨sh膩h, the Val膩yat-n膩me and Shiite Sufi Authority. Sociology of Islam 3 (3-4): 190-207.

    • 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.

    Research projects

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within 糖心logo入口:
    2

    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 before submitting an application.

    Current doctoral researchers

    • ALESSANDRA PERINOZZI
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      The impact of mass mobilisation on youth political particiption: a case study of Iran and Tunisia.

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • ALEX MUTNANSKY
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor, to
      Title of thesis:
      A Comparative Analysis of Sustained and Non-Sustained Minority Ethnic Mobilization in the Post-Communist Space: The Hungarians in Romania and Lezgins in Azerbaijan
      Awarded:
      2025

    Teaching

    Formerly at 糖心logo入口: 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
    • Transformations in Modern Politics: Democracy, Conflict and Globalisation
    • Dissertation MSc Politics
    • Politics and the Middle East
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Van Den bos, Matthijs (2025) . International Journal of Asian Studies ISSN 1479-5914.
    • van den Bos, Matthijs (2024) . Naqd-e d墨n墨/religious critique (11),
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2022) . British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 49 (5), pp. 769-791. ISSN 1353-0194.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2020) . Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 31 (1), pp. 1-22. ISSN 0959-6410.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2018) . Journal of Political Ideologies 23 (1), pp. 30-53. ISSN 1356-9317.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2015) . Social Compass 62 (2), pp. 238-254. ISSN 0037-7686.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2015) . Religion, State and Society 43 (2), pp. 186-191. ISSN 0963-7494.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2015) . Sociology of Islam 3 (3-4), pp. 190-207. ISSN 2213-140X.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2012) . Ethnicities 12 (5), pp. 556-580. ISSN 1468-7968.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2009) . ZemZem 4 (3), pp. 48-54. ISSN 1574-6577.

    Book

    • Van den Bos, Matthijs (2026) . The Global Middle East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009731133.

    Book section

    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2020) . 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) . In: Fleet, K. and Kr盲mer, 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) . In: Fleet, K. and Kr盲mer, 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) . In: Fleet, K. and Kr盲mer, 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) . In: Fleet, K. and Kr盲mer, 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) . In: Fleet, K. and Kr盲mer, 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 (2012) . 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) . 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 (2008) . In: Ridgeon, L. (ed.) Sufism 4V. Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies. Oxford, UK: Routledge. pp. 203-233. ISBN 9780415419437.
    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2008) . In: Van Bruinessen, M. and Howell, J.D. (eds.) Urban Sufism. Jakarta, Indonesia: Rajawali Pers. pp. 63-88. ISBN 9789797692247.

    Other

    • Van Den Bos, Matthijs (2009) . http://www.insideofiran.org/en/.

    External Repositories