Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jewish Studies - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Lund University invites applications for a Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jewish Studies at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (CTR). The position is to specialise in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism.

Ref. no: PA 2017/1814

Starting date: 1 August 2018 or by agreement

For information on the post please contact Assistant Head of Department for Research Johanna Gustafsson Lundberg (tel. +46 46 222 43 40, email johanna.gustafsson_lundberg@ctr.lu.se) and/or Associate Professor Karin Zetterholm (tel. +46 46 222 90 41, email karin.zetterholm@ctr.lu.se).

For information on the terms of employment and salary please contact human resources manager Lena Kandefelt (tel. +46 46 222 72 24, email lena.kandefelt@kansliht.lu.se).

The discipline of Jewish Studies examines Judaism and the historical, cultural, religious and literary manifestations and experiences of the Jewish people. In order to be able to explore and understand the religious and cultural diversity from Biblical times to the present, the discipline rests on an interdisciplinary foundation made up of history, literary studies, religious studies and sociology, among other fields. The discipline also includes language study of Hebrew, Aramaic and Yiddish.

The period from the first to the eighth century was a crucial period in the development of Judaism. This period saw the fall of the Second Temple, the emergence of rabbinic Judaism in interaction with Christian groups, and the early emergence of Islam. The successful candidate must conduct research on a topic relevant for this time period. Such topics may include the early Jesus movement, non-canonical Jewish texts (apocrypha and pseudepigrapha), apocalyptic messianism linked to early Christianity, rabbinic Judaism and literature, “Jewish-Christian” texts that combine adherence to Jesus with Jewish identity, or the Judaeo-Christian environment in which Islam emerged.

The successful candidate is expected to collaborate with faculty members at CTR in areas such as Hebrew Bible, New Testament Studies, Patristics or Islamic Studies. The duties may include teaching up to a maximum of 20 % of the post.

The successful applicant is expected to conduct the research connected to the post on location at Lund University, and take active part in research seminars in the relevant fields.

Qualifications: the candidate must have been awarded a PhD or an international degree deemed equivalent not more than three years before the application deadline. Candidates who completed a PhD over three years ago must provide certificates of parental leave, illness or similar reasons for leave in the application. Applicants with a first language other than a Scandinavian language must be able to document advanced proficiency in English.

Special qualifications are

• proficiency in Hebrew, Aramaic/Syriac or Greek
• experience of research on Jewish and Christian non-canonical texts from the period
• experience of research on Jewish traditions and Judaeo-Christian texts affecting the emergence of Islam
• experience of online teaching

The grounds for assessment are a good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research, and teaching skills. The main criterion for assessment for a postdoctoral fellowship is research expertise. In all other respects, the assessment will be based on the requirements specified for the post. As documentation for the assessment of qualifications, applicants are to submit a project plan of the research they intend to carry out during their appointment.  

The application must include

- a complete and signed CV and a certified copy of the PhD degree transcript

- a list of publications (including ISBN and ISSN numbers)

- a signed project plan of no more than 1500 words (not including list of references) of the research project the candidate intends to pursue during the fellowship.  

The project plan is to have the following headings:

• Description of the project (issue and summary)

• Theory and method

• Relationship to the international forefront of research in the subject

• The most important international research in the area

• The applicant’s suitability (expertise and qualifications) for the project

• Timetable and publication form for the project 

NB! The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions above, that all documents are scanned (as a single PDF file) and that the file has reached the University through the e-recruitment portal MyNetwork no later than the application deadline.