Job offer: Research associate (m, f, x) for CRC 1475 “Metaphors of Religion”
The Center for Religious Studies (CERES) is a central research institution of the Ruhr-Universität. It initiates and coordinates religion-related activities in the areas of research, teaching, promotion of young scholars, and knowledge transfer.
The Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1475 “Metaphors of Religion” brings together research in religious studies, philology and linguistics, and centers on the significance of metaphors for the formation of religious meaning. Research will be historical-diachronic as well as culturally comparative.
Subject to funding by the German Research Foundation, the position of a Research Associate (Postdoc) is available at the Collaborative Research Center in subproject A04. Within the framework of this SFB, subproject A04 investigates the role of metaphors in the formation of Zoroastrian eschatological language. Besides investigating the constitution of new metaphors, it scrutinizes how existing metaphors are remapped to designate new eschatological notions. By focusing on the Zoroastrian eschatology as a case study, this project will answer its main research question, i.e., to what extent the overall construction of meaning relies on the transformation of existing metaphors rather than the production of entirely new ones. To that end, the project will investigate five historical layers of Zoroastrian literature from the 12th cent. BCE to the 17th cent. AD, i.e., the Old Avestan, Young Avestan, Sasanian Middle Persian, early Islamic Middle Persian, and the New Persian Zoroastrian corpus.
For 14 months of the project, starting from September 2022, we will be in need of a researcher especially specializing in Zoroastrian Middle Persian.
Your tasks:
- Annotation of metaphors with eschatological content in Sasanian and early Islamic Middle Persian corpora
- Analysis of the historical development of the Zoroastrian eschatology
- Writing one or two peer-reviewed articles on the development of the Zoroastrian language of eschatology
- Organization of small discussion sessions within the SFB
Your profile:
- PhD in Iranian studies or a similar subject
- proven knowledge in Middle Persian philology
- good knowledge of the history of Iranian religions
- good German and/or English language skills
Also desirable are:
- knowledge of New Persian
- experience in the field of digital processing of historical text sources
- experience in interdisciplinary research contexts
Our offerings:
- support from and cooperation with competent colleagues
- team-oriented cooperation in a committed, international and appreciative team
- a friendly and collegial environment
- an agile way of working
- a dynamic environment
- a modern equipped workplace an open working atmosphere
Additional information:
Limited until 31.10.2023 with 39,83 hours per week, TVL E13
If the position is funded by third-party funds the employee has no teaching obligation.
The employment contract is limited in time in accordance with § 14 paragraph 2 of the part-time and fixed-term law (TzBfG).
We are looking forward to receiving your application with the specification ANR: 661 until 15.06.2022, send by e-mail (as a single pdf file) to the following address: neda.darabian@rub.de