Postdoc Research at Oxford

FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, IAN RAMSEY CENTRE

Researcher
GRADE 8: Salary £33,779 - £34,813

We seek applications for a Research post within the Faculty of Theology and the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. This new post has been created for our recently initiated project in Empirical Expansion in Cognitive Science of Religion & Theology, a joint venture of Oxford’s Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion and the Centre for Anthropology & Mind in the School of Anthropology. In addition to developing or continuing her or his own line of research in Cognitive Science of Religion & Theology, the post holder will work under the supervision of Professor Roger Trigg and Dr Justin Barrett in implementing two major projects developing cognitive science of religion and theology: (1) a Methodological Expansion Programme to create resources and occasions to increase the amount of empirical research in the field and the sophistication of dialogue with theology; and (2) a Small Grant Programme to create opportunities for scholars to address the needs for empirical testing and theological engagement within the field. As part of a team, the post holder will be responsible for managing the Small Grant Programme. The post holder will solicit and coordinate requests for proposals, communicate with applicants, and serve on the judging panel for awards. Additionally, the post holder will serve as a discussion facilitator in a Summer Workshop – particularly with theologians – and will serve as a project guide for scholars participating in cross-training activities of the Methodological Expansion Program. The Researcher will co-edit a published collection and will take the lead in conducting a publishable assessment of the cognitive science of religion field in terms of its theological and philosophical implications and areas in need of additional attention.

This 32 month position will begin in January 2007 and end in August 2010. The final 11 months (October 2009 – August 2010) are funded at 50% time. The post holder will be required to produce evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK. Applicants should have a doctoral degree in the area of theology, philosophy of religion, or an area closely related to the cognitive science of culture. Applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English. Essential requirements for the post are: strong familiarity with central problems in theology and/or philosophy of religion; familiarity with the academic literature in cognitive science of religion; strong organisational and administrative skills; strong networking skills; willingness and ability to work as part of a team; experience in collaborative scholarship and publication; and competence with Word and PowerPoint. It would also be desirable for applicants to have the ability to teach theology at the university level, particularly in the area of science and religion, and have experience in lecturing to interdisciplinary audiences. Further particulars may be obtained from cynthia.hall@theology.ox.ac.uk. There is no application form. Please send a hard copy of a letter of application clearly addressing how you meet the selection criteria requirements outlined above; a complete, up-to-date curriculum vitae; names, address, email, and telephone contacts of two referees, one of whom should be from your current or most recent employer, to Mrs Cynthia Hall, Ian Ramsey Centre, Department of Theology, University of Oxford, 11 Bevington Road, Oxford OX2 6NB, England, UK, to be received by no later than 12 noon on 15 November 2007. All reasonable interview expenses within the UK will be reimbursed.