PhD Position Early Modern Religious Debates and the Public Sphere

VU Hoofdgebouw

Amsterdam

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Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

PhD

MSc

Closes on

27-11-2026

Publishing date

28-10-2026

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Do you want to explore original historical documents, examine religious debates of the early modern period, and detect the roots of the current notion of a public sphere? Then apply to this PhD position!

Your function

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in the Low Countries many public religious debates were organized between, for example, Calvinists and Mennonites, or Catholics and Lutherans. Their written reports constitute an underexplored treasure of information about the religious dynamics following the Reformation and the development of a public sphere.

A PhD position is available within the NWO-funded project “In Search of the Truth, in Search of Adherents”. This interdisciplinary project investigates early modern religious debates in the Dutch language. As a PhD candidate you will examine whether, and to what extent, these debates contributed to the emergence of a public sphere and address questions such as: How did different groups use debate to distinguish themselves from one another and define their own positions within the religious landscape? What strategies did the participants employ in these debates? How did the role of the audience present at these debates change over time and what was expected of audience members? How and why were minutes of debates made public, and what was the effect of such published reports?

You will cooperate closely with another PhD candidate on the project, who uses digital humanities methods to investigate how participants in debates used and referred to sources. Together, the two PhD projects will offer complementary perspectives on the practices, intellectual traditions, and wider cultural significance of early modern religious debate. The PhD-project offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of the history of theology, media history and intellectual history. A full description of the project is available upon request.

Duties and Responsibilities

Write a PhD dissertation and academic articles.
Contribute to knowledge exchange and research outreach activities.
Contribute to the preparation of a critical edition of early modern Dutch-language debates.
Contribute to the research group, the research section and the department.
Participate in courses offered by the Graduate School and NOSTER.

Your profile

A research master's degree in a humanities discipline, such as religious history, church history, history or philosophy.
A thorough knowledge of early modern Dutch history.
The ability to read and analyse early modern sources relevant to the project.
The ability to collaborate across disciplines and contribute to the research group.
Excellent command of Dutch and English.
Knowledge of and experience with digital humanities methods would be a strong asset.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

a salary of € 3.204,00 (PhD) and maximum € 4.051,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
an employment contract of initially 18 months. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

The starting date of the contract will be April 1, 2027.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
solid pension scheme (ABP)
a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
contribution to commuting expenses

About us

School of Religion and Theology
The School of Religion and Theology at VU Amsterdam is the leading centre of expertise for the study of religion in society in the Netherlands. Our students, lecturers and researchers are critically engaged with the major religious and societal themes relevant for today. From holy scripture and pastoral care to peace studies and contemporary spirituality.

We are the most comprehensive theological School in the world, with ten seminaries that encompass all world religions and many Christian denominations. Together we explore issues of faith and belief. We are open to each other’s ideas in our quest for knowledge, values and truth. Together we expand our horizons, strengthen our understanding and find new pathways in a time of huge social upheaval.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Please upload the following documents:

A CV that describes relevant experience

Cover letter outlining why you are interested in and qualified for this position

and, where available, a copy of your Master's thesis

Job-interviews will take place on Wednesday 16. December

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.