3 Postdoctoral Research Positions for ERC Advanced Grant RECUR KU Leuven in Belgium

KU Leuven’s Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies invites applications for three postdoctoral research positions within the ERC Advanced Grant project RECUR: Towards a Critical Political Theology of Coloniality, led by Prof. Judith Gruber. The project runs from 2027 to 2031 and investigates how colonial power continues to shape contemporary Europe through theological, religious, secular, and academic discourses.

The postdoctoral researchers will join an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented team working across the national contexts of Belgium, Germany, and Ireland. RECUR combines qualitative discourse analysis, discourse network analysis, and critical theological reflection to build a new framework for understanding the relationship between theology, coloniality, and forms of contemporary power. Researchers will contribute collaboratively rather than as isolated subproject leads, helping to develop the project’s core concepts, methods, and comparative dataset.

The project welcomes applicants with expertise in one or more of three areas: (A) systematic, constructive, or political theology; (B) empirical research on religion, institutions, and public discourse; and (C) post-/secularity studies, political theory, or cultural anthropology. The research agenda engages with questions of coloniality, authority, memory, religion, secularity, and the political dimensions of theological imaginaries and institutions.

Each researcher will take primary responsibility for empirical research in one of the three national contexts and will work across three thematic domains: sexualized violence in the Roman Catholic Church, remembrance practices of state violence, and academic knowledge production in post-/secularity studies. The role includes independent and collaborative research, coding and analysing qualitative corpora, contributing to conceptual/theoretical development, publishing in leading journals and edited volumes, presenting at conferences, and participating in seminars, workshops, and public engagement activities.

Requirements include a completed PhD by the start of the appointment in Theology, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Political Theory, Anthropology, Sociology, History, Cultural Studies, or a related discipline; expertise in at least one relevant area; a strong publication record relative to career stage; and excellent English. Competence in German, Dutch, French, or Irish is highly desirable. Applicants should also show openness to interdisciplinary collaboration and to moving between empirical and conceptual approaches.

The appointment is normally between 80% and 100% FTE, initially for one year, with the expectation of renewal for the remainder of the project period up to five years, subject to satisfactory performance and project needs. KU Leuven offers competitive compensation according to its pay scales, as well as a research budget for conferences, workshops, and training.

Apply in English via the online application tool by 2026-10-26 at 5pm CET. Required documents: CV, motivation letter (max. 2 pages), writing sample (max. 20 pages), and contact information for two references. For questions about the position, contact Prof. dr. Judith Gruber at [email protected]. KU Leuven emphasizes an inclusive and respectful working environment.