Description of the Research ProjectThis NWO-funded research project studies the role of the Reformed Church in the Dutch colonial past. The project looks at the theological and exegetical arguments put forward by church and academic theologians to defend or criticize slavery, and at the concrete financial, social and administrative role of the church in slavery and slave trade (missionary, pastoral, the church as slave owner, investor, gatekeeper). Multiple perspectives are included (enslaved people, former slaves, indigenous people, mixed groups and white colonizers) and attention is paid to the legacy of slavery in today's churches and society.
The research project is a collaboration between the PThU and the VU, with the University of Curaçao and NiNsee (the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy) as partners.
For the full description of the research project, please visit
https://www.pthu.nl/kerk-en-slavernij/. The project is envisioned to start on 1 January 2023.
Your dutiesPhD Candidate 1 (VU):Your PhD project is entitled 'Slavery, Church and Co-Existence in the Dutch Colonial Empire till the 19th century'. You will focus on the prescriptive, mediating and controlling role of the local church in the actual co-existence of the various communities, within the boundaries set by the magistrate or the trading companies, during the heyday of enslavement and slave trade until the early 19th century. After a period of general data collection in East and West, you will focus on a part of the former Dutch colonial empire (e.g., Indonesia or Sri Lanka). In your archival studies your read and analyze the (white) sources against the grain with a multi-faceted approach to be able to detect and include counter-voices and the voice of enslaved and free blacks and indigenous people (decolonizing the archives).
PhD Candidate 2 (PThU):Your PhD project is entitled 'The Reformed Church in the Dutch Colonial Empire since approximately 1830: Impact and Response'. You will focus on the role of the church in the period immediately before and after the abolition of slavery (1860-1863). After a period of general data collection in East and West, you will focus on a case study in the western part of the former Dutch colonial empire (e.g., Surinam or Curaçao). In addition to archival research, you will conduct anthropological fieldwork on oral history in its various manifestations (songs, family stories) and on material heritage, so that the perspective of (formerly) enslaved people, Asian contract laborers and indigenous people is also reflected in the research. In your analysis, you will make use of concepts such as race, religion, colour, class and gender.
Student Research Assistant (PThU):As a student research assistant you will be responsible for supporting both the organization of the research project, as well as the processing of the obtained data. You will be involved with the practical preparation of the seminars and conferences and you will digitalize and order raw data within Excel, supporting the team members in organizing and filling the project's database.
What do we expect from you?For the PhD Candidates:
- To submit a PhD thesis on the abovementioned topic within the period of appointment
- To complete and submit at least two articles for an international, peer-reviewed journal within the period of appointment, as well as to contribute to the project's edited volume(s)
- To participate in seminars and conferences organized in the framework of the project
- To participate in the PhD training programs of one of the universities and a national research school
For the Student Research Assistant:
- To assist and support the team members of the project (organizing meetings, taking minutes, etc.)
- To assist in the editing of the project's edited volume(s)
- To assist in digitalizing and ordering data and to help storing these data in the database
- To assist in public communication and communication with the project's stakeholders through, e.g., website maintenance, social media promotion, possibly newsletters