Three Postdoc positions “Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam” (3 years, 0.8 FTE)

Three Postdoc positions “Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam” (3 years, 0.8 FTE)

Job description

Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam (chaired by Prof. Asghar Seyed-Gohrab ) examines the emergence, flourishing and lasting appeal of non-conformist movements in Islamic intellectual history from the tenth century to the present day, investigating how Islamic antinomian movements consolidated Islam in a vast region from the Balkans to Bengal, while offering methods of self-reflection that allowed for critical thinking within Islamic streams of thought. By examining how generations of Islamic mystics and intellectuals in the Persianate world challenged, redefined or rejected Islamic canonical law in their poetic, artistic, philosophical and political writings and teachings, this project generates significant new insights into transgression in Islam.
Please indicate for which of the following projects you would like to apply:

The PostDoc will investigate the life and legacy of an Anatolian deviant dervish called Kaygusuz Abdal as an example of how such dervishes turned not only against Islamic and civil laws, but also against Persian and Arabic as the languages of the elite, by writing in a Turkic language, contributing to vernacular religious literature.

The PostDoc will study the relationship between medieval antinomian ideas and their impact on the rise of secular intellectual philosophy in the Middle East, particularly the Iranian world, introducing a secularist view of Islam, a worldly orientation and a rationalising approach to religion.

The PostDoc candidate will investigate the femininity and the feminisation of the masculine in Islamic mysticism, examining the homosexual aspects of the antinomian mystics and their negotiations with gender norms.

Additional information can be found on the website of the project: https://islamicpiety.sites.uu.nl

Qualifications

The successful candidates will have:

• a PhD degree either in Persian studies, Islamic Studies, Arabic Studies, or religious studies by the time of appointment;
• a record (appropriate to career stage) of publications that demonstrates the ability to conduct research which is internationally recognized as contributing to the field;
• the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with good organizational and communication skills;
• creativity and is innovative in her/his work;
• expertise in working with primary Persian and Arabic or Ottoman Turkish primary sources;
• proficiency in spoken and written English.

Offer

This is an appointment (0,8 FTE) for the duration of 1 year. Upon good performance, the contract will be extended for another two years (for a total of three years) The minimum gross salary is € 3,548 and the maximum gross salary is € 3,807 (scale 10 of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities) per month, at a full-time employment.
Besides that, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. Utrecht University also has an appealing package of terms of employment , including the choice for a good balance between work and private (a good arrangement for leave, among other things), possibilities for development and an excellent pension scheme. More information on working at Utrecht University can be found here.

About the organization

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University , the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.
The Faculty of Humanities has around 6,000 students and 900 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city center of Utrecht, where the Faculty is housed, contribute to an inspiring working environment.

Additional information

For more information about this position, please contact: prof. dr. Asghar Seyed-Gohrab (Professor), via [email protected]

Apply

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation via the ‘apply’ button below.

The application should include:

• a brief cover letter explaining what interests you about this position, how your background prepares you for it, and any other information about your circumstances relevant to assessing your suitability for the position;
• a curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications. Please include the names and contact details of two referees whom we may contact at the end;
• a relevant key-publication (max. 20 pages – you may also include selections from larger work).

In case you are shortlisted we will invite you to submit a research plan, indicating how you propose to approach the research question, based on this vacancy description and a research framework that will be sent to you (approximately 750 words).

Interviews will be scheduled to take place by the end of January 2022 and are likely to be conducted online, via Zoom. Employment will become effective on September 1, 2022 or, by mutual agreement, shortly thereafter.

The application deadline is 01/12/2021