PhD scholarship 'Catholic identity construction and historical views on LGBTQ+ related topics'

KU Leuven Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for a PhD position for the research project 'Processes of Agency, Negotiation and Identity Construction (PANIC): Lived Religion and LGBTQ+ in relation to Catholic Norms and Practices in Europe from Historical, Ethical and Practical Theological Perspectives’. This project is supervised by Dries Bosschaert, Annemie Dillen, and Nenad Polgar.

Website unit

Project

On December 18, 2023, the blessing of same-sex unions in the Roman Catholic Church was allowed by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Belgian bishops made a similar statement one year earlier. This sparked many reactions, ranging from enthusiasm to protest. Time and again, beliefs around Catholic identity are being debated in relation to these positions on LGBTQ+ matters. On an individual level, Catholics shape their religious identity in dialogue with past and present views on LGBTQ+ matters in church and society. The project focusses on these processes of negotiation of one’s religious identity in relation to LGBTQ+ matters within the Roman-Catholic Church in a cross-cultural perspective (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Croatia). Various data will be analysed: interviews, historical and contemporary normative sources and social media. In this way, the project aims to shed light on epistemological questions regarding identity construction and agency, memory and memory communities and cultural interactions and will delve into the intricate relationship between individual religious identity and the social institutions, church communities, and societal context.

This PhD position fits within the historical research line of this project and focuses in particular on the analysis of historical sources, the historical contextualization of individual memories and those of communities of memory, and on the role of LGBTQ+-related themes in processes of religious identity formation in the past.

Profile

You have a passion for (church) history and theology and religious studies, have strong academic qualities and a Master's degree (or about to obtain one) in Theology and Religious Studies, in History or a related discipline with a strong historical or sociological/anthropological dimension.

• You obtained/will obtain your Master's degree with good results and meet the requirements for admission to the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies https://admin.kuleuven.be/rd/doctoraatsreglement/en/phdregulation-trs#section-3)?
• You are interested in intellectual, religious and social history.
• You have experience with archival research, oral history (qualitative research methods) or would like to train yourself in these fields.
• You can work independently, have a sense of responsibility and take initiative.
• You speak and write fluently in English. An active and passive knowledge of Dutch, French, and/or Croatian is of great value.
• You have not yet worked as a PhD fellow.

The successful candidate will

• Work on the preparation and defense of a doctoral dissertation on the basis of publications within the project.
• Publish academic articles related to the research project.
• Present the research at conferences at home and abroad.
• Collaborate closely with the other PhD researchers of the project
• Contribute to the organisation of events, activities and other tasks related to the project and its research (workshop, meetings with project partners)
• If the candidate is eligible, submit one application for a FWO PhD Fellowship fundamental research
• Assist the supervisor with a limited package of teaching and research support tasks within the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at KU Leuven. 

Offer

• We offer a full-time doctoral position for a period of one year. The position is renewable, after positive evaluation, to a maximum period of four years.
• The planned start date is 1 November 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.
• Your monthly salary is calculated according to the amounts for PhD students in the scales for academic staff.
• You will conduct research in a dynamic and stimulating working environment at KU Leuven.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Dries Bosschaert, tel.: +32 16 32 38 40, mail: dries.bosschaert@kuleuven.be.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.