Bart Koet

In the last decade, Koet has dedicated himself also to the study of leadership in the early church and the role of diakonia during the conception of the New Testament. In 2009 he, along with prof. dr. Paul van Geest, organized the XXXVIII Incontro di Studiosi dell’Antichità Cristiana with the title: Διακονíα, diaconiae, diaconato semantica e storia. The conference was organized as a joint-venture by both the Faculty of Catholic Theology (Tilburg) and the Istituto Patristico Augustinianum (Rome).

After high school, Koet studied theology and philosophy at the Catholic Theological University and the University of Amsterdam and biblical studies at the Pontificio Istituto Biblico in Rome. In 1989 he obtained his doctorate in Heerlen with a dissertation on scriptural interpretation in Luke-Acts.

From 1989 on Koet worked as post doc in Utrecht and Amsterdam (KTHU & KTHA) and from 1994 he worked there as assistant professor New Testament. In 2009 he became a professor by special appointment on Early Christian Literature at Tilburg University. In 2013 he also became full professor of New Testament at the same institution. As of 2019 Koet is the Dean of Research at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology.

Koet started in the parish ministry of the Westland region, after obtaining his master's degree. From 1989 until 2005, he became a prison chaplain in the (in)famous Bijlmer Bajes in Amsterdam. During this time he focused on the study of dreams, after he discovered how important dreams were for prisoners. In 2011 and 2015 he was involved with the organization of the international conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Bart J. Koet (born in Alkmaar on 28 July 1955) is Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature at Tilburg University and the Dean of Research at the same institution. He also is the president of the Centre for the Study of Early Christianity together with Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte of the Vrije Universiteit.