Roel Kuiper
Roelof (Roel) Kuiper (born 5 April 1962 in Mariënberg) is a Dutch historian, philosopher, ideologue, politician and university professor. He was from 2007 to 2019 a member of the Dutch Senate, and is professor of Reformational philosophy at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam in the name of the Association for Reformational philosophy, teaching Society Issues at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede and Gereformeerde Hogeschool Zwolle and Political and social philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). Kuiper received his doctorate in History in 1986 at the VU. In 1992 he got his promotion at the same university on the subject : "Zelfbeeld en wereldbeeld: antirevolutionairen en het buitenland 1848–1905". He received his doctorate in Philosophy at the VU in 1998. Positions. After his doctorate in History Kuiper had, besides what is written above, different other positions, like teacher at the MO-teacherseducation History, at the Evangelische Hogeschool in Amersfoort, from 1991 until 1995 he was director of the Association for Reformational Philosophy in Utrecht and in 1995 he succeeded André Rouvoet as director of the Marnix van Sint Aldegonde Stichting, the Scientific Institute of the Reformational Political Federation until 2002. From 2000 until 2002 he was director of the Scientific Institute  of the Christian Union, the Groen van Prinsterer Stichting. Currently Kuiper is member of the 'Nationale Conventie', a think tank for a revision of the national political system. This system consists presently of an executive government, a bicameral parliament, the judiciary and the political parties. The central question is if changes in that system can contribute to recovery of faith between citizens and government. The historical, political and philosophical publications by Kuiper are often apologetic by nature, defending the Christian faith in the Netherlands against ongoing secularization. Many of his ideas are inspired by Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, the intellectual  father of the Antirevolutionary Party; Kuiper wrote a biography of Groen in 2001. Politics. Kuiper was a Christian Union member of the Senate from 12 June 2007 until 11 June 2019. He was also a Senate group leader from 7 June 2011 until 11 June 2019, succeeding Egbert Schuurman.