How do religion, spirituality and meaning impact the public domain? This is the question of the Public Religion Lab of the Department of Religion and Practice at Tilburg School of Catholic Theology and the Department of Sociology at the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
This joint research project is driven by interest in the continuation and discontinuation of the public role of religion. The focus is first on what takes place within the field of religion and spirituality, secondly on religious initiatives in other sectors of society, and thirdly on the use of religion as a cultural resource. In doing so, we study the entire spectrum of meaning making: from religion and new spirituality to rituals, sacrality, civil religion, and secularism.
The individual projects deal with three levels: the macro level, such as the social role of religion in relation to the state and the market; the meso level, such as the role of religion in health care, education and social support; and the micro level, the societal importance of religiosity, spirituality, and worldviews.
You are invited to develop a proposal for sociological research within this framework. You will be part of a research team of ten junior and senior researchers.
The candidate for PhD
Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:
For more information, see our website and the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities.
Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.
We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.
About Tilburg School of Catholic Theology
As a knowledge center, the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology is simultaneously at the intersection of science, society, and church in the secularized context of the Netherlands and part of a global network of universities committed to research-driven education. Tilburg's School of Theology educates students who are not only "religiously literate" but carry their broad personal and academic schooling into many fields of work.
About Department Religion and Practice
Where do people today seek meaningful practices? Where are they challenged to reflect on their lives? Where do they find answers to their existential questions? Which spaces bring people together in a deepening manner? In which settings do traditional stories find new forms of expression?
The Department of Religion and Practice at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology is searching for answers to these questions. In the department, theologians, philosophers, and religious scholars collaborate, each contributing from their own perspective to this explorative endeavor.
The team of the Public Religion Lab consists both of social researchers connected to the School of Catholic Theology and of researchers connected to the department Sociology of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Petra Weterings P.M.J.Weterings@tilburguniversity.edu with questions on the procedure and Kees de Groot with questions on the content of the position +31 13 4662453 or c.n.degroot@tilburguniversity.edu.
We cordially invite you to apply before November 1 2025; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Kees de Groot and attach your CV. In order to make a good selection, we also ask you to provide the following documents:
Letter selection is scheduled on 5 November; you will receive notification from us shortly thereafter. The first selection interviews will take place on November 12 and the second on November 26.
This application process is managed by the employer (Tilburg University). Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.
Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.
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The selection committee consists of:
You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on February 1, 2025.
The selection committee consists of:
You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on February 1, 2025.
Make sure to apply no later than 31 Oct 2024 23:59 (Europe/Amsterdam).
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