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| Jitse Dijkstra, assistant professor, Department of Classics and Religious Studies |
What is it about your job that inspires you most?
Interacting with people, both ancient and modern. As an ancient historian I work with texts through which ancient people come alive. They show us that the choices people made in antiquity, for example with regard to my area of expertise, religion, were not essentially different from those made today.
How did you come to your area of research?
Having been raised as a protestant Christian, I have always been interested in religion. This interest, together with my fascination with Egypt, brought me to study that country in the Late Antique period, in which there is an interesting interaction between the Ancient Egyptian religion and Christianity.
What would you change in the world today if you could?
I would take away the fear and prejudice people have towards other people, to make them realize that we are all not essentially different and to respect each other’s values, customs and religions.
Which five people (living or dead) would you like to invite to a dinner party?
George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Osama bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and an interpreter and have them explain to each other what they think ‘democracy’ is.
