Dr. Kyle Dieleman serves as associate professor of theology and history at Dordt University. His research interests include church history and historical theology, particularly Reformation history, Calvin studies, and the history of the Reformed tradition in the Low Countries (Netherlands).
He is the author of Navigating Reformed Identity in the Rural Dutch Republic: Communities, Beliefs, and Piety as well as The Battle for the Sabbath in the Dutch Reformation: Devotion or Desecration?
“I find a deeper knowledge of the Church and of other people to be a crucial part of learning to more fully love God and our neighbors,” he says. “Understanding the past can help us understand the long story of God's salvation for his people and can equip us to live faithfully in the world today.”
He preaches regularly at area Christian Reformed (CRC) churches in Northwest Iowa. Dr. Dieleman serves as vice president for the Calvin Studies Society; he is also the USA representative for the UNESCO organization Commission InternationalE d'Histoire et d'Etudes du Christianisme.
All people are created in the image of God, adds Dr. Dieleman, including those who lived long ago – thus, they are deserving of our love and care. “I see in the human experience, including in the Church, the fullness of human sin and brokenness, and, at the same time, the beauty of Christ’s redeeming work in the world. If my work can help students, scholars and broader audiences catch glimpses of stories within the overarching narrative of God, then glory to God.”
He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. Dr. Dieleman also loves to travel as well as to watch “all sorts of sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes.”
Prior to teaching at Dordt, he served as a professor of history at Trinity Christian College.
Education
- Ph.D., Religious Studies, the University of Iowa.
- Master of Divinity, Calvin Theological Seminary.
- B.A., Theology, Dordt University.