Hi, I am Kristof K.P. Vanhoutte, a philosopher and writer.

My work can essentially be described by the following three aspects.

First of all, I have always worked on the border between philosophy and theology, gladly ignoring where one field ends and the other begins. Trained in contemporary so-called Continental philosophy and Theology (particularly Patristics), I wrote my PhD in Rome under the supervision of the great patrologist, Bishop Luigi Padovese O.F.M.Cap. I was his last doctoral student, and his early and violent passing left a lasting void.

I have also always been deeply curious about ideas, traditions, and parts of reality that most people overlook, ignore, or simply dismiss without a second glance. I’m drawn to them because I’m convinced that what mainstream culture overlooks often has the greatest power to broaden our perspectives, spark creativity, and deepen our understanding. My interest in the Afterlife and in Heresies grows directly from this curiosity.

Finally, although my work is in continuous conversation with the past, and it couldn’t exist without relying on the patient work of historians, its aim is always to address our world today and our place in it. I take the critical task of philosophy very seriously.

As can be imagined, my work resists easy categorization. This is not because I dislike categories – some boxes are very useful – but because neither I nor my work fits neatly into one.

I have studied and worked in Leuven, Rome, Edinburgh, Paris, and Basel where I am also actively engaged in finding concrete ways to bring specialized knowledge to a broader public. Knowledge only bears fruit when shared, and nothing is more perilous than letting it wither into irrelevance. You can discover what we do at SPACE Basel here.

My full CV can be found here.