PhD Position on the Text, Transmission and Translation of 1 Corinthians

European Commission; Belgique; Sur place; EUR 24 000 - 36 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

KU Leuven is seeking a PhD candidate for the 1Cor project, focusing on the text-critical editions of 1 Corinthians. The successful candidate will engage in innovative research, contributing to the understanding of the textual development and transmission of this biblical text. This full-time position offers an intellectually stimulating environment with support for research training and conference participation.

Prestations

Guidance from experts in the field

Resources for conference attendance

Practical support for immigration and housing

Qualifications

• Excellent Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology or related field.
• High proficiency in (Hellenistic) Greek and another project language.
• Familiar with textual criticism principles and computer literate.

Responsabilités

• Contribute to the 1Cor project focusing on liturgical use or versional evidence of 1 Corinthians.
• Establish evidence of 1 Corinthians in Greek or Latin lectionary tradition.
• Investigate text transmission and translation in selected manuscripts.

Connaissances

Proficiency in Hellenistic Greek

Familiarity with textual criticism

Organizational skills

Cooperative attitude

Computer literacy

Formation

Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology

Classics or related field

Description du poste

Organisation/Company KU Leuven Research Field Religious sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country Belgium Application Deadline 16 Jun 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 hours/week Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BAP-2025-291 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Project

The 1Cor project’s main goal is to produce full scientific text-critical editions and analyses of 1 Corinthians with an innovative multilingual perspective in order to come to a thorough text-critical understanding of the textual development and transmission of 1 Corinthians in the first millennium. This will include a full digital text-critical edition of the Greek text, providing the earliest attainable Greek text in the first millennium as part of the International Greek New Testament Project's contribution to the Editio Critica Maior (ECM) and a full critical edition of the Old Latin text of 1 Corinthians as part of the Vetus Latina (VL) series of the Vetus Latina Institut Beuron (Germany). The project evaluates biblical continuous and non-continuous manuscripts as well as patristic evidence and translations into multiple languages, including Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Gothic and Arabic, by means of cutting-edge digital tools designed for electronic transcriptions, collations and editions.

Working as part of a team of researchers, the successful PhD candidate will contribute to the project’s objectives by focussing on one of the following aspects in a dissertation that is expected to be published as a monograph after completion:

(a) Liturgical Use of 1 Corinthians

The PhD candidate will establish the evidence of 1 Corinthians in Greek or Latin lectionary tradition and will investigate the question whether the liturgical attestation of 1 Corinthians differs from continuous-text manuscripts. Patterns and tendencies will be defined by paying special attention to the various formats of liturgical manuscripts. The dissertation is expected to make an innovative contribution not only to the specific questions of the textual use of Paul in the early church but also to the fuller understanding of the liturgical tradition in the early period.

(b) Versional Evidence for 1 Corinthians

The PhD candidate will investigate the text, transmission and translation of 1 Corinthians in a certain set of manuscripts, e.g. from a certain language, area, time or genealogical connection.

This dissertation may either investigate the question whether the textual tradition of the Pauline epistle can be considered a “living text” and has a fluent tradition comparable to that established for the gospels by David Parker in 1997, or analyse translational techniques and patterns within a certain versional tradition, or develop and use new technical tools to investigate the manuscript traditions.

We are offering a full-time position in an intellectually challenging and inspiring environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied research. It is highly inter- and multidisciplinary focused and strives for international excellence.

The successful candidate will benefit from guidance and research training from experts in the field, a work space and resources to attend and present at conferences. The successful candidate will be part of an innovative research team in Leuven, a historic, dynamic and lively city located in the heart of Belgium, within 20 minutes from Brussels, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam. KU Leuven provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, etc.

The position is subject to admission to the Faculty’s doctoral programme. The contract will initially be for 1 year and may be extended subject to a positive performance review and KU Leuven regulations. The project team is led by Prof. Christina M. Kreinecker.

Eligibility criteria

The successful candidate

• has an excellent Bachelors and Masters degree in Theology (New Testament Studies or Patristics), Classics or a related field.
• has a high level of proficiency in (Hellenistic) Greek and another of the project’s languages (depending on the proposed field of research).
• is familiar with the principles and application of textual criticism and is computer literate. Prior experience of working with biblical or patristic manuscripts is desirable.
• has an excellent command of English (project language) and (the willingness to obtain) sufficient competence in other languages to access relevant secondary literature.
• is capable of working independently, possesses organisational skills and has a cooperative attitude.
• is willing to conduct the PhD research being present in Leuven and to travel on project business (incl. conferences).

Your application should include (and be limited to) the following attachment(s):

• letter of motivation (max. 1 page) including contact details for two people who are willing to provide a reference;
• curriculum vitae including details of linguistic skills;
• outline of the intended doctoral research on one of the above-mentioned aspects of the 1Cor project (max. 2 pages).

Applications for this job are possible until 16 June 2025 via the KU Leuven online application tool. Online interviews for shortlisted candidates are scheduled to take place on 2 July 2025.

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [e-mail] .