PhD Student Religion in the Public Domain 1.0 FTE

Tilburg University | School of Catholic Theology is looking for a PhD Student Religion in the Public Domain (1.0 FTE) for the Department of Religion and Practice, location Tilburg the Netherlands. Contract duration: PhD Student 18 months, with the prospect of a contract for 4 years in total.

Job description

How do religion, spirituality and meaning impact the public domain? This is the question of the Public Religion Lab of the Department of Religion and Practice at Tilburg School of Catholic Theology and the Department of Sociology at the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. 
This joint research project is driven by interest in the continuation and discontinuation of the public role of religion. The focus is first on what takes place within the field of religion and spirituality, secondly on religious initiatives in other sectors of society, and thirdly on the use of religion as a cultural resource. In doing so, we study the entire spectrum of meaning making: from religion and new spirituality to rituals, sacrality, civil religion, and secularism.
The individual projects deal with three levels: the macro level, such as the social role of religion in relation to the state and the market; the meso level, such as the role of religion in health care, education and social support; and the micro level, the societal importance of religiosity, spirituality, and worldviews.

You are invited to develop a proposal for sociological research within this framework. You will be part of a research team of ten junior and senior researchers.

Requirements

The candidate for PhD 

• has a master’s in social sciences, religious studies, theology or a related discipline;
• has experience with qualitative research;
• is interested in sociology of religion;
• has scientific publications in preparation;
• is fluent in Dutch and/or English.

Conditions of employment

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment: 

• A position based on 1.0 FTE.
• A salary of €2872 gross per month in the first year, up to €3670 gross per month in the fourth year for full-time employment, based on UFO profile Promovendus and salary scale P.
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 under b of the CLA DU. You will initially receive a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months to assess your suitability. The evaluation will take place after about 14 months. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 30 months. (N.B. program is 4 years, fulltime).
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. 
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave. 
• The opportunity to work partly on campus and partly from home with a home office allowance of €2 per day.
• A monthly internet fee of €25.
• Reimbursement for sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transportation. 
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center. 
• A moving allowance (subject to conditions). 
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for the 30/20/10% tax facility.
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center. 
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities. 
• A vibrant campus in green surroundings that is easily accessible by public transport. 

For more information, see our website and the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. 

Employer

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

About Tilburg School of Catholic Theology
As a knowledge center, the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology is simultaneously at the intersection of science, society, and church in the secularized context of the Netherlands and part of a global network of universities committed to research-driven education. Tilburg's School of Theology educates students who are not only "religiously literate" but carry their broad personal and academic schooling into many fields of work.

Department

About Department Religion and Practice
Where do people today seek meaningful practices? Where are they challenged to reflect on their lives? Where do they find answers to their existential questions? Which spaces bring people together in a deepening manner? In which settings do traditional stories find new forms of expression? 

The Department of Religion and Practice at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology is searching for answers to these questions. In the department, theologians, philosophers, and religious scholars collaborate, each contributing from their own perspective to this explorative endeavor. 

The team of the Public Religion Lab consists both of social researchers connected to the School of Catholic Theology and of researchers connected to the department Sociology of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Additional information

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Petra Weterings P.M.J.Weterings@tilburguniversity.edu with questions on the procedure and Kees de Groot with questions on the content of the position +31 13 4662453 or c.n.degroot@tilburguniversity.edu. 

We cordially invite you to apply before November 1 2025; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Kees de Groot and attach your CV. In order to make a good selection, we also ask you to provide the following documents: 

• An official copy of your university degree 
• Grades list 
• PhD student: Master’s thesis. Postdoctoral researcher: PhD thesis.
• Publication list and one or two publications 
• Contact details of at least two referees
  We only approach referees for candidates invited to the second round of interviews.

Letter selection is scheduled on 5 November; you will receive notification from us shortly thereafter. The first selection interviews will take place on November 12 and the second on November 22.