Postdoctoral Researcher in Medieval Manuscript Studies

As a postdoctoral researcher you will be responsible for one of the three subprojects within the European Research Council (ERC)-funded project Patristic Sermons in the Middle Ages (PASSIM). This project studies the medieval reception of the Latin sermons preached by the Early Church Fathers, through the first large-scale analysis of the formation and spread of patristic sermon collections in medieval Europe. The project is developing a digital network of manuscripts containing collections of patristic sermons. Building on this network, PASSIM pursues three lines of inquiry: the customisation of standard liturgical collections as indicative of individual purposes and contexts, the dynamic between transmission and popularity of patristic sermons, and pseudo-epigraphic sermons as revelatory of medieval perceptions of the Church Fathers.

You will study the customisation of patristic sermon collections for use in the liturgy and Divine Office from the 7th to the 15th century, with a particular emphasis on the Carolingian homiliary of Paul the Deacon and its reception. You will compile and describe a representative collection of manuscripts that transmit (part of) Paul the Deacon’s homiliary and use this collection, which will be integrated in the project database, as the basis for an analysis of patristic sermon collections for the liturgy. Your analysis will include topics such as the resources and contexts of the compilers, local customs and evolutions in the liturgy, evidence of intellectual mobility within and between religious orders, programmes of dissemination in the context of religious or intellectual reform, etc.

Your findings should be presented in at least three articles in international scientific journals and several conference papers and book chapters. Additionally, you are expected to contribute to the creation of the project’s database. You will also contribute to the organisation of scientific meetings related to the project, the editing of conference proceedings, and the wider communication of the project’s results.

Requirements

• a PhD in a relevant field (or assurances that it will be obtained by the time of appointment);
• an excellent research and publication record in relation to the career stage;
• excellent knowledge of Latin and demonstrable experience in the field of manuscript studies;
• a strong willingness to collaborate as part of a research team;
• willingness to travel regularly for archival research and to attend international scientific meetings.

Conditions of employment

• employment: 0.8 FTE
• depending on your qualifications and level of experience, the gross monthly salary will be between € 3,637 (min. scale 11) and € 4,978 (max.scale 11), based on a 38-hour working week.
• in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• duration of the contract: 3 years with a 2-month trial period
• you will be classified as a Researcher, Level 3 in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO)
• you will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service where our Dual Career Officer will assist with family related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation

Radboud University values a diverse workforce. Female candidates are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. The intended starting date is 1 January 2020 but negotiable.

Are you interested in our excellent employment conditions?

Employer
Strategically located in Europe, Radboud University is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands. A place with a personal touch, where top-flight education and research take place on a beautiful green campus in modern buildings with state-of-art facilities.

Department
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts employs over 500 staff members who teach, conduct research, or support educational and research endeavors in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, linguistics and information, and communications technology (ICT). Research is embedded in one of the two faculty research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) or Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS). The faculty provides education for circa 2,400 students, spread over three departments: the department of history, art history and classics, that of modern languages and cultures, and the department of language and communication.

Further information on Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies
Further information on Patristic sermons in the Middle Ages

Additional information

1. Shari Boodts, Principal Investigator
   Telefoon: +31 (0)24 3612198
   s.boodts@let.ru.nl