Dr. Justine Bakker

Biography

Justine Bakker is an Assistant Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen specializing in Comparative Religious Studies and Theology. Her research primarily focuses on the intersections of race and religion, with a specific interest in modern alternative, heterodox, and esoteric forms of religiosity. Bakker has contributed to notable journals such as Religion, the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Correspondences, among others. She was awarded the Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship and funding from the Flanders Research Foundation. Alongside David Kline, she published the book 'Words Made Flesh: Sylvia Wynter and Religion' in June 2025, which examines the works of Sylvia Wynter, a significant Caribbean philosopher and cultural critic, urging a reconceptualization of colonialism and race within religious studies. Currently, she is involved in the 'Normative Esotericism' project with Tanya Cheadle, analyzing the regulations surrounding sex, gender, and race in modern alternative spirituality. Her earlier academic route includes a PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University, completed in 2020.

Research Interests

Experience