Ausschreibung der Theologischen und der Philosophischen Fakultät der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
The Collaborative Research Centre 1136 “Education and Religion in Cultures of the Mediterranean and Its Environment from Ancient to Medieval Times and to the Classical Islam” at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), currently invites applications for 14 Research Positions (Doctoral Students and Postdocs). The positions start as soon as possible and last for three years with the possibility of extension. The salary is subject to the German TV-L payscale (TV-L E 13). The postdocs will hold full-time positions, the doctoral students part-time positions.
The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) investigates constellations of education and religion in Greco-Roman religion, Judaism, Christianity and Islam from the 5th century BCE to the 13th century CE. Research is guided by the assumption that investigating the relationship of education and religion will provide deeper insights into cultural, social, and religious dynamics which were fundamental in these cultures and religions. The interaction of education and religion will be investigated within four project areas: (A) Storehouses of education; (B) Interpretations; (C) Communications; (D) Discourses. The tableau of academic disciplines involves Classics and Jewish Studies as well as Christian biblical exegesis and Church History, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Oriental Studies, Medieval History, and Pedagogics of Religion.
First and foremost, the doctoral students and postdocs participate in and contribute to the research conducted within the sub-projects of the CRC. For more information about the research goals of each sub-project and the respective skills which are required from the successful candidates, please refer to the description of the sub-projects given below. The doctoral students and postdocs will also take part in the interdisciplinary collaboration with other sub-projects within the CRC and in the latter`s plenary meetings and workshops.
Applications are invited for the following positions:
Sub-project A 01: Archaeology of Ancient Libraries: Religion, Representation, Storerooms of Knowledge
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time).
The sub-project investigates the archaeological and literary sources for Greco-Roman librar-ies by virtue of a new and comprehensive approach and interprets them with respect to both the contextualization of storerooms of knowledge within sanctuaries and imperial representation. In doing so, the question arises whether the localization, e.g., of Hellenistic libraries in sacred contexts served as prefiguration of the relationship of libraries and Christian cultic practices in Late Antiquity and medieval times. Also the integration of thermal baths as a precursor of the interconnection between bath and library in the Middle Ages will be discussed. Thereby it will be clarified whether ancient libraries – considering their functioning – should be regarded as a preliminary stage for later ensembles of storerooms of knowledge or whether they should rather be studied following a transcultural comparative approach.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– excellent Master in Classical Archaeology or similar degree
– good competences for the cooperation with the partners in TP 1
– good knowledge in the main languages used in classical archaeology
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Johannes Bergemann jbergem@gwdg.de.
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Sub-project A 03: Pagan Religion and Philosophy in `Virtual Libraries´: Late Antique Compendia and Encyclopaedic Works
Two positions for Doctoral Students (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time).
The project investigates various forms of the literarisation of pagan religious traditions in selected late antique compendia and encyclopaedic works. In doing so, it takes into account the full pagan religious panorama, including philosophy. Mechanisms of selection and condensation of knowledge about religion are analysed with regard to their impact on late antique pagan religiosity and to their embeddedness in conceptions of education and culture on the one hand, and to their importance for the construction and transmission of alternative worldviews in the Middle Ages on the other hand.
Of the two doctoral positions one will study the Elementatio theologica of Proklos and the second Isidore of Sevilla`s Etymologies.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Degree (M.A. or comparable) in Classical Philology, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Church History or related subjects
– good command of the relevant source languages (Ancient Greek and/or Latin)
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Ilinca Tanaseanu-Döbler itanase@uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project A 04: Religious Reception and Christian Transformation of Non-Religious Knowledge in the Carolingian Era
Two positions for Doctoral Students (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time).
The project is focused on the Carolingian period and aims to reconstruct communication and transformation processes of non-religious knowledge in the fields of the Septem Artes and medicine that had been passed on in schools and by scholars since the Antiquity. In particular, the research will be focused on the re-interpretation of traditions of knowledge and education under Christian auspices on the one hand, and the use of this knowledge for representative and pragmatic purposes by the Carolingian rulers on the other hand. The subjects in concern are both the corpus of non-religious texts communicated at schools and collected in monastic and court libraries as well as the architectural ensembles of schools and libraries which were located at the court in Aachen and in palaces and monasteries all over the Frankish realm.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Applicants for research area “Septem Artes in Carolingian Court, Bishop`s and Monastic Libraries” should be excellently qualified by a M.A., Magister, state examination or a diploma in History, History of Sciences, (Medieval) Latin Philology or related subjects. Consolidated knowledge in Medieval History, good knowledge in Medieval Latin, Paleography and Codicology are expected. An interest in the History of Sciences and Humanities could be an advantage.
– Applicants for research area “Medical knowledge” should be excellently qualified by a M.A., Magister, state examination or a diploma in History, History of Sciences, (Medieval) Latin Philology or related subjects. Consolidated knowledge in Medieval History, good knowledge in Medieval Latin, Paleography and Codicology are expected. An interest in the History of medicine and / or History of Sciences could be an advantage.
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Hedwig Röckelein: hroecke@gwdg.de.
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Sub-project B 04: Scriptural Exegesis and Religious Polemics in Syriac Texts in Late Antiquity
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time)
The sub-project investigates possible interrelations between biblical exegesis (Ephrem the Syrian, Theodore of Mopsuestia) and anti-Jewish polemics (Aphrahat, Isaac of Antioch, Narsai and others) mainly in the East Syriac Christian literature (4th-6th centuries). Moreover, it deals with the relevance of these two text categories for Christian polemics in Syriac against Islam in 7th-8th century (especially in Theodore bar Konai as well as in anti-Islamic apocalypses, apologies, and historiographical writings).
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Degree in theology, Christian oriental studies (MA, M.Ed. Mag. Theol., Dipl.-Theol.) or in related fields
– A very good knowledge of Syriac and ancient Greek (knowledge of Hebrew and Arabic is an advantage)
– The study focus on History of the Church (1st – 8th cent.)
– or religions of Late Antiquity is desirable
For further information please contact Dr. Dmitrij Bumazhnov bumazhnov@gmx.net.
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Sub-project B 05: Scriptural Exegesis and Educational Traditions in Coptic-Speaking Egyptian Christianity in Late Antiquity: Shenoute, Canon 6
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time)
The project examines the reception and the exegesis of the Bible in texts from Egypt’s cenobitic monasticism, with a focus on the works of the abbot Shenoute († 465). The aim of the study is fourfold: to explore, using digital tools and methods, the exegetical and rhetorical strategies of the abbot, in particular, the grammar and pragmatics of biblical quotations, to understand the relationship between author and recipients, to analyse their respective level of education and to trace the interaction between Christian, Ancient Egyptian and Classical/Hellenistic educational traditions in Shenoute`s exegetical practice.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– M.A. (or equivalent) in Coptic Studies, Theology/Biblical Studies/Religious Studies, Egyptology, Christian Oriental Studies, Classics or related fields
– Very good knowledge of Coptic (good working knowledge of Ancient Greek highly desirable)
– Familiarity with databases and online research and the willingness and ability to be trained in the use of a variety of Digital Humanities tools and methods
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Heike Behlmer aegypten@uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project C 01: Enlightened Men – Superstitious Women? Religion, Education and Stereotypes of Gender in Classical Athens
Postdoc (payscale: TV-L E 13, full-time).
The project investigates the intermediaries, processes of mediation and recipients of religious education in classical Athens (5th/4th century B.C.), paying particular attention to gender issues. It examines male and female agents, places and social contexts of religious education in a polytheistic culture. The question of “right” and “wrong” (possibly even criminalized) forms and contents of religious education for men and women brings to the fore the fundamental relationship between education and religion in Ancient Greece as well as their importance for the functioning of the Greek polis.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– hold an above-average PhD in Classics (Ancient History, Classical Archaeology or Classical Philology) or have handed in their thesis.
– a research specialism in Ancient History; candidates with particular interest in the history of ancient religions or gender studies are especially encouraged to apply.
– possess excellent knowledge of Ancient Greek and Latin.
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Tanja Scheer tanja.scheer@uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project C 02: The Ancients in Mind: Religious and Antiquarian Transfer of Knowledge in the Educational Compendia of the Second Century A.D.
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time)
Starting from an exemplary analysis of three educational miscellanies from the second century A.D. (Plutarch, Quaestiones Romanae et Graecae; Gellius, Noctes Atticae; Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae), the project focuses on aspects of religion as addressed and discussed in the overall context of each of these works. Taking into account the didactic intentions these compendia pursue, the communicative strategies they employ and the imagined spatial and situational settings they introduce, the project focuses in particular on the marked antiquarian interest, with which these works draw on `the cultural heritage of ancient religion´ throughout.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– The candidate should have excellent exams (Master of Education or Master of Arts or compatible exams) in Latin Philology as well as good knowledges in Ancient Greek language.
– Requested are knowledges in Ancient history and an engaged interest in themes of history of religion and culture.
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Ulrike Egelhaaf-Gaiser ulrike.egelhaaf-gaiser@phil.uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project C 05: The Christian Catechumenate from Late Antiquity to Early Medieval Times and Its Reception in Modern Pedagogics of Religion
Two positions for Doctoral Students (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time).
The sub-project which will be jointly carried out by scholars of Church History and Pedagog-ics of Religion intends a) to collect and interpret patristic and early medieval sources for the so-called catechumenate (concentrating upon the 4th to 7th centuries) and b) to investigate the reception of the ancient catechumenate in Catechetics and Religious Education in the 19th and 20th centuries. It focuses thus a) on the development of the catechumenate in terms of an educational process and its importance for theology and congregational practice in patristic times and b) on the modes of reception and the impact of historical knowledge of the catechumenate in modern religious educational thought.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Degree (M.A. or comparable) in Theology or related subjects
– good knowledge in Patristics or Pedagogics of Religion respectively concerning the research area of Church History:
– good command of ancient Greek and Latin
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt Peter.Gemeinhardt@theologie.uni-goettingen.de or Prof. Dr. Bernd Schröder Bernd.Schroeder@theologie.uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project D 01: Religious Knowledge in Discourse: Cicero`s Dialogues on Philosophy of Religion
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time)
Religion occupies a prominent place in Cicero`s educational program. Making it a central topic of several of his philosophical dialogues, Cicero establishes a link between philosophy and religion. This project`s main aim is to address the question of how arrangement of discourse and religious knowledge interact in Cicero`s works as well as the questions concerning his independence from his Greek precursors.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Degree (M.A. or comparable) in Classical Philology/Latein Philology or related subjects
– An interest in Cicero`s works and in didactic central questions
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Peter Kuhlmann pkuhlma@gwdg.de.
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Sub-project D 02: Religion in Educated Discourse: The Evangelist Luke and the Orator Dion of Prusa
Postdoc (payscale: TV-L E 13, full-time).
Like no other text of New Testament scriptures Luke-Acts demonstrates the endeavor of Early Christianity to impart its message to the educated circles of the Greco-Roman world. At the same time, rhetoric popularizes a philosophy which turns its attention more and more towards religious topics. Therefore, contemporary rhetoric and especially Dion as its most important representative in early imperial times lends itself to analyze the chances and limitations of Early Christian inculturation into the educated world of Later Antiquity.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– PhD in Theology (New Testament studies) or related subjects
– good command of ancient Greek
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Reinhard Feldmeier Reinhard.Feldmeier@theologie.uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project D 03: Ethical Instruction as Educational Discourse: The Muslim Moral Philosopher and Historian Miskawaih (d. 1030) between Reception and Transformation
Postdoc (payscale: TV-L E 13, full-time).
This project analyzes the oeuvre of the classical Muslim scholar Miskawaih from two perspectives. On the one hand, it examines how the ideas of ancient pagan and early Jewish, Christian and Muslim authorities on ethics and education were received, adapted, and recontextualized by Miskawaih from the standpoint of his own views on God, humanity, and the world. On the other hand, it studies Miskawaih`s use of discourse in communicating his own key ideas concerning ethics and education, and shows how these teachings were received and further developed by later Muslim scholars.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– PhD in Arabic Studies and/or Islamic Studies or related subjects
– good knowledge of arabic-islamic history of thought with special focus on questions of education and transfer of knowledge in Classical Islam
– excellent knowledge of Arabic and German, good command of English and French
– knowledge of Greek and Syro-Aramaic is desirable
For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Sebastian Günther s.guenther@uni-goettingen.de.
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Sub-project D 05: Profiling Religious Identity in Learned Discourses. The Role of Education in References of 12th-century Christian Authors to Jews and Muslims
Doctoral Student (payscale: TV-L E 13, two-thirds of the regular working time)
There are numerous writings from the 12th century in which western Christians refer to Jews and Muslims, often in the literary form of a dialogue. The topic of `education´ is often explored in that context. Starting from selected authors and their writings (Petrus Alfonsi: Dialogus; Petrus Venerabilis: Contra sectam Sarracenorum, Adversus Iudaeorum inveteratam duritiem; Petrus Abaelardus: Collationes), this sub-project will, in an exemplary manner, study what function education had in such references to Jews and Muslims.
The successful candidate for the research position should have
– Degree (M.A. or comparable) in Theology or related subjects
– good command of Latin
– good knowledge in Medieval Church History
For informal enquiries please contact Prof. Dr. Tobias Georges Tobias.Georges@zentr.uni-goettingen.de.
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If there are any questions concerning the sub-project, please contact its leader (see above). General questions can be addressed to the CRC Speaker, Prof. Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt (Peter.Gemeinhardt@theologie.uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 / 551 / 397112), or the Scientific Coordinator, Dr. Monika Winet (mwinet@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 / 551 / 3910836).
We ask all applicants to e-mail their documents in PDF format by June 12th, 2015 to the CRC office (mwinet@uni-goettingen.de), mentioning the desired position and sub-project number.
The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for female scholars. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. Disabled persons with equivalent aptitude for the position will be favoured.