Full Professorship in Theology

Aarhus Universitet; Aarhus; On-site; DKK 1,200,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Aarhus University invites applications for a full professorship in theology at the Department of Theology, School of Culture and Society. The appointment is permanent and available from 1 September 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The professor will lead research and teaching across BA, MA and PhD programs, engage in international collaboration and supervise early career scholars, and contribute to knowledge dissemination. Proficiency in relevant classical languages is valued.

Qualifications

• PhD in theology or equivalent qualification.
• Evidence of excellence in research with an outstanding publication record.
• Experience in securing external research funding and managing projects.
• Ability to supervise and support early career researchers.
• Ability to teach and supervise across BA, MA and PhD levels, in multiple languages as needed.

Responsibilities

• Take a leading role in the department's future research and educational development.
• Supervise and mentor PhD students and postdocs and support career development.
• Teach across BA, MA and PhD programs, including primary sources in languages.
• Foster international collaboration and knowledge exchange in theology.
• Develop and implement a research plan for five years and pursue external funding.

Skills

Original publications

International collaboration

External research funding

Teaching across BA/MA/PhD

Mentoring early career researchers

Education

PhD in theology

Job description

Full Professorship in Theology

The School of Culture and Society, the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for a full professorship within the field of theology. The position is permanent and is available from 1 September 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The successful applicant will be based at the School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Department of Theology, Tåsingegade 3, 8000 Aarhus C.

In its pursuit of academic excellence, the Faculty of Arts is committed to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of background.

The position

The Department of Theology at Aarhus University offers a dynamic, collegial and internationally orientated research and teaching environment. The position is open with respect to research specialisation and we welcome applications from talented candidates working in any theological subfield. related to the department’s core areas of research and teaching (see below). The professor will take a leading role in the future development of our thriving research and educational environment. Candidates are expected to be able to document excellence in theological research and an outstanding publication record. Evidence of success in gaining external research funding and experience of managing research projects is expected, as is the ability to nurture international collaboration. The professor will also be expected to take an active role in supervising and supporting early career scholars, in knowledge dissemination and in teaching at BA and MA level.

Research

The successful applicant will be expected to take a leading role in the core research activities of the Department of Theology (https://cas.au.dk/en/theology ) and the multi-disciplinary research activities of the School of Culture and Society , the Faculty of Arts , and beyond. In the application, applicants should explicitly present their vision for the development of research and research training in their theological field or sub-field. This should include a research plan for the next five years demonstrating how the applicant will consolidate, develop and/or expand existing research specialisations in the department. The department has the ambition to expand its external research funding, and candidates are invited to include proposals for how this might be achieved in the application.

Past research achievements will be assessed based on the active research time available to the applicants, so your application should specify any career breaks or periods of leave you have had.

Education

Candidates should document extensive university teaching and supervision experience, including evidence of active involvement in the development of educational programmes and learning environments in theology. The professor will be expected to teach and supervise on all the degree programmes in theology (BA, MA and PhD), and to take an active role in their development. In all theological fields, teaching includes working with primary sources in Latin, Greek or Hebrew and applicants should therefore have the necessary language skills relevant for their theological field. We emphasise the importance of maintaining a dedicated and respectful relationship between staff and students. As part of their teaching portfolio, applicants should demonstrate and exemplify their commitment to participatory teaching initiatives and student involvement. The department wishes to attract and nurture top quality Ph.D. and post-doctoral researchers. The successful candidate will demonstrate well-documented qualifications with regard to supervision and research management, including experience of recruiting, mentoring and supporting the career development of early career researchers (PhD students, postdocs and assistant professors). The professor will also be expected to contribute to developing and teaching PhD courses.

It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as described in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts, for instance research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society partners or the public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a PhD in theology or equivalent qualification, and research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired for a professorship, according to the Faculty of Arts’ criteria .

Applicants must be able to document:

• Original academic publications at the highest international level, showing evidence of excellent research
• Experience of active participation in international research collaboration.
• Experience in designing applications for and/or attracting external funding, in administering collaborative research projects. Well-developed plans for further developing externally funded projects must also be presented.
• A vision for the development of research and research training in the applicants’ theological field or sub-field. This should include a research plan for the next five years, demonstrating how the applicant will consolidate, develop and/or expand existing research specialisations in the department.
• Evidence of excellence in teaching and supervision at BA, MA and PhD levels (teaching portfolio), including evidence of contributions to innovative teaching and a statement of teaching philosophy.

Further:

• Experience of initiatives relating to talent development and/or management of research and educational environments will be an asset.

A maximum of five selected and submitted publications should be uploaded with the application. These must be accompanied by a narrative publication list that explicates the selection criteria for the submitted five publications; and the way in which these publications illustrate the applicant’s research merits.

A list of publications is not sufficient and applications without submitted publications and annotated publication list will not be assessed.

References or recommendations should not be included with the application. Applicants who are selected for a job interview may be asked to provide professional references.

Applicants are expected to contribute to the department’s academic environment. We emphasise the importance of good working relationships among colleagues and with our students and therefore expect the successful candidate to be present at the department on a regular basis during the teaching semester.

Language and further information
Most of the department’s BA and MA teaching is conducted in Danish, but applicants must also be able to teach and supervise in English at university level. Applicants who are not fluent in Danish will be expected to acquire the language within a period of approximately two years.

Applications may be uploaded in English.

For further information about the content of the position, please contact Head of School of Culture and Society Marie Vejrup Nielsen, [e-mail].

For further information about the application procedure, please contact [e-mail])

The academic environment

The Department of Theology has a core staff of 20 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students, and 1,500 further and continuing education students. We believe that the best ideas arise when different perspectives meet – and that research, teaching and innovation are best developed in dialogue with the surrounding society, including alumni who work in church and cultural life.

The School of Culture and Society
The focus of the teaching and research activities of the School of Culture and Society is the interplay of culture and society in time and space:

• from the classical research fields of theology and the humanities to applied social research
• through history from the earliest times to issues of topical interest
• from familiar Danish forms of culture to other and very different worlds
• from local issues to global challenges.

The school encompasses a range of strong research and degree programmes, which in dialogue with each other and with society work to develop innovative ways to solve issues of topical or perennial interest.

It comprises a wide range of programmes, which makes it possible to approach cultural and social conditions from many different angles: Anthropology (incl. Human Security), Archaeology (Prehistoric, Medieval, and Renaissance), Asian Studies (Chinese, Japanese/South-East Asian Studies, Arab and Islamic Studies), Philosophy and the History of Ideas, History, and Classical Studies.

The school’s research competencies are dedicated in particular to global and regional cultural processes, and the school houses a number of the university's international and globally-orientated degree programmes and fields of research (anthropology, Asian studies, human security, the study of religion, history, European studies, and international studies).

The school has a strong academic environment for teaching and research in the classical fields, which are decisive for understanding and manifesting Denmark's position in the world (theology, philosophy and the history of ideas, classical studies, archaeology, the study of religion and history).

The school has a comprehensive network of contacts and partners in Danish and international society, and the department’s research and degree programmes contribute to social innovation, the communication of research results, and continuing and further education.

There is a constructive tension within the school between, on the one hand, a scholarly focus on the fundamental conditions of human life and the theoretical opportunities for research and, on the other hand, an empirical investigation of concrete and topical social issues. This tension serves to strengthen the academic quality of the department's research and degree programmes and is the point of departure for its contribution to resolving the problems facing modern society.

For further information about the school, please see http://cas.au.dk/en/.

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

• Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order) .
• Appointment shall be in accordance with thecollective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Financeand the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, research plan, copies of degree certificates and no more than fiveexamples of academic production (mandatory). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

About Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of Northern Europe’s most significant faculties for research and higher education in the humanities, theology and education.Within this broad academic scope, the faculty comprises approximately 700 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students, and 1,500 further and continuing education students. We believe that the best ideas arise when different perspectives meet – and that research, teaching and innovation are best developed in dialogue with the surrounding society.
You can find more information here: Faculty of Arts | Aarhus University
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.