Position Available

The Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” within the University of Münster (Germany) wishes to appoint a three year part-time position as

Doctoral Research Associate in Religious Studies
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin / Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
(salary level, TV-L E13, 65%)

The successful candidate will join the research project B3-35 “On the dynamics between the de-institutionalization and the re-institutionalization of religious practice: Catholic cultures of piety and social forms in the field of tension between institution and charisma” under the direction of Prof Astrid Reuter.

This fixed-term position is scheduled to start at the earliest possible date and will run for three years. According to the German collective labour agreement for public sector employees (TV-L E 13), the salary for the position starts at approximately 1688€ (net) per month during the first year. The regular working hours for this 65% position amount to 25 hours and 53 minutes per week.

The Cluster is an interdisciplinary research association with a thematic focus on the dynamic power of religion as a driving force behind political and social changes. Disciplines involved include: history, political science, sociology, Catholic and Protestant theology and law, Islamic studies and theology, Jewish studies, religious studies, Egyptology, classical and early Christian archaeology, philosophy, philology, art history and ethnology. For further information on the structures and research outline of the Cluster, please refer to http://www.uni-muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/en.

Standard duties:

  • production of a doctoral thesis in the topical area of the subproject B3-35 “On the dynamics between the de-institutionalization and the re-institutionalization of religious practice: Catholic cultures of piety and social forms in the field of tension between institution and charisma” under the direction of Prof Astrid Reuter (Religious Studies). (For further information on the project see https://www.uni-muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/en/forschung/projekte/B3-35.shtml)
  • active involvement in the Graduate School program
  • participation in the interdisciplinary working groups of the Cluster of Excellence

Research associates are expected to pursue their own academic career (doctoral thesis) in conjunction with the duties pertaining to the position. In order to facilitate communication and collaboration within the Graduate School, applicants who are not proficient in German will be encouraged to attend German language courses.

Qualifications, knowledge and experience:

  • above-average higher education diploma in religious studies or related disciplines
  • profound knowledge of the religious/sociological study of Christendom
  • high level of interest in the interdisciplinary study of religion
  • very good knowledge of English and – depending on the doctoral project – good knowledge of German, (Brazilian) Portuguese and/or French and/or Italian

The University of Münster is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the proportion of female academics. Consequently, we actively encourage applications by women. Female candidates with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered within the framework of the legal possibilities. Among applicants of equal qualifications and equal position-relevant skills, disabled candidates will be given preference unless other candidate-related reasons prevail.

Applications should include a cover letter, a CV, a two to three page exposé of the doctoral project and study certificates. They are to be addressed to Prof Astrid Reuter (Institute for Religious Studies, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, D-48149 Münster) and submitted via email, as a single PDF, to Robert Suckro at r.suckro@uni-muenster.de before 31 July 2020.