W3 Endowed professorship in Intercultural Theology

Institution: Faculty of Theology
Date of Announcement: 13.02.2025
Application Deadline: 27.03.2025


The Faculty of Theology of the University of Göttingen invites applications for a temporary professorship with civil servant status (grade W3 NBesO) starting on October 1, 2025:

W3 Endowed professorship in Intercultural Theology (f/m/d)

If the personal requirements are met, the professorship will be awarded with civil servant status for a period of five years. After a positive evaluation, the employment contract will be extended for another five years.

We are looking for a team-oriented and committed scholar who will represent the full range of Intercultural Theology in research and teaching. The research should focus Christianities and theologies of the Global South, in particular on processes of religious and cultural exchange from a theological and religious studies perspective.

With regard to teaching, the main focus of this professorship will be on the two English-language study programmes ‟Intercultural Theology": The M.A. Intercultural Theology, which has been existing at the Faculty for 15 years, as well as the B.A. Intercultural Theology, which will be established on October 1, 2025. In addition to the various modules in Intercultural Theology, the post-holder will have to offer practical-theological B.A. modules amounting 2-3 teaching hours a week. The University attaches importance to research-oriented teaching.

We expect the willingness to hold courses in English, as well as potentially in German after appropriate training period. The willingness for academic communication in both languages is desirable.

Applicants must have an outstanding dissertation in a theological subject, a ‟Habilitation‟ or equivalent achievements (a second book or at least five outstanding essays with peer review) in the research area of Intercultural Theology or Global Christianity with at least one non-European focus. We expect further proven high-ranking achievements in research and teaching as well as successfully acquired third-party funding. Proven familiarity with religious studies approaches and theories is essential. Applicants must have academic and intercultural teaching experience.

Several years of research and teaching experience in a non-European academic context, as well as teaching experience in the subject Intercultural Theology and in a practical-theological field (e.g. spirituality, pastoral theology, religious leadership) are desirable.

The holder of the position will be expected (a) to participate in intra-faculty research projects and inter-faculty research networks, as well as (b) to have a strong commitment to raising third-party funding and (c) to participate in academic self-governance. In addition, cooperation in the existing university centers for religious research is desirable.

Appointment requirements are stipulated by Article 25 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act in the most current version of that law. As a rule, junior professors and other members of the University of Göttingen can only be considered for a professorial appointment if after the completion of the doctoral thesis they have transferred to another university or worked for a minimum of two years in research elsewhere. The University of Göttingen is a Public Law Foundation and thereby entitled to award professorships. Details will be provided upon request. Beyond that, applicants must be members of a church, which belongs to the World Council of Churches.

Applications from abroad are explicitly welcome. The University of Göttingen strives to increase the proportion of women in areas where women are underrepresented and therefore explicitly invites qualified female scholars to apply. The University has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports its employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. In the case of equivalent qualifications, applications from disabled persons will be given preference. In order for the University to be able to protect the interests of the applicant, information about a disability or equal status should be included in the application.

Applications should include a motivation letter, an academic curriculum vitae, a list of publications a description of the teaching experience (including a list of the courses that you have held), a research concept and the completed application form. Please address your application to the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 2, 37073 Göttingen and send it in in a single pdf file to dekanat@theologie.uni-goettingen.de by March 27, 2025.

For further information please contact the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Theology Prof. Dr. Martin Laube: mlaube@gwdg.de.

The submission of the application constitutes consent under the data protection law and allows us to process your application data. For more details on the legal basis and data use, please refer to the information sheet on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Please note that only the German version of this job announcement is legally binding.