This project will contribute both to our knowledge of the entangled history of what we today call Europe and to our understanding of the intertwined identity building processes of what we habitually call Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. By applying and refining the concept of religious co-production it will explore the continuous forming, re-forming and transforming the three religious traditions by interacting with and imagining one another, as well as the impact such co-production had on the shaping of Europe.
The team members will provide particularly significant case studies on interactions between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the early Medieval Occident and the resulting “products” – such as rituals, festivals, legal norms, saints, holy places, lifestyles, narratives, doctrines, images, knowledge, hopes.
The project will bring together especially talented and promising postdoctoral researchers to do groundbreaking independent research in the historical study of religious interaction and co-production. In a regular bi-weekly reading group, the team will continuously study relevant sources together and discuss conceptual aspects to refine the concept of religious co-production on its empirical-historical, epistemological-hermeneutical as well as the ethical-normative level. All of this will take place in an attractive academic environment that is particularly conducive to such a project at the University of Bern.
The Bern research team will be integrated into the joint international research initiative “Interactive Histories, Co-Produced Communities: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”, a collabo-ration between the PI and Prof. David Nirenberg and his team at the IAS Princeton. This Bern-Princeton initiative is connecting senior and junior scholars from all over the world in an effort to cultivate a new understanding of religious history as a process of co-production rather than isolated identity formation. For more information see: https://www.coproduced-religions.org.
Responsibilities
During the period of employment, Postdoctoral Fellows will be expected to:
- carry out their independent research on the co-production of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in the early medieval West (including North Africa)
- contribute to the project’s research archive: https://coproduced-religions.org/resources/case-studies (two sources and one case study per year)
- participate in and assist with organizing the project’s team weekly meetings (in person and zoom), workshops, and conferences
Qualifications
Applicants must have graduated with their PhD in a relevant field (History, Religion, Art History, Interreligious Studies, Theology, Philology etc.), and be no more than ten years from the awarding of their degree.
- an appropriate number of publications depending on the candidate’s experience
- a general interest in the historical relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims as manifest in the candidate’s track record
- strong reading skills in the primary and secondary languages relevant to the candidate’s proposed area of focus
Proficiency with the English language is necessary to perform the functions of these positions. Research contributions can be in English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish.
Terms of the award
The initial appointment term is for two years (08/2023-07/2025). The appointment is renewable for another three years contingent on satisfactory performance. Postdoctoral Fellows will be expected to be in residence in Switzerland for the duration of their appointment. More information about postdoc positions at Uni Bern including salaries: https://www.unibe.ch/unibe/portal/content/e152701/e322683/e325053/e916384/.
Application instructions
Applicants must submit the following materials:
- cover letter (one page, in English)
- curriculum vitae including track record
- description of your intended research, including a particular case of co-production you are especially interested in researching (no more than four pages, in English)
- dissertation abstract (250 words, in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish)
- writing sample (no more than 25 pages, in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish)
- names and contact information of two recommenders
All application materials should be submitted electronically as a single PDF file to: katharina.heyden@unibe.ch. The deadline for submission is March 20, 2023.