PhD position

The Protestant Theological University (PThU) has a PhD-vacancy for the project: ‘Can Morality be Both Revealed and Universal? Contributions from Ancient Jewish Literature to Contemporary Debates’ (1 fte, 4 years or 0.8 fte, 5 years).

About the position

In multicultural and multireligious societies, the clash of differing moral convictions and their sources is significant. Individuals may draw upon revelation to anchor their morality or make references to what are deemed universal moral principles. How can moral understanding and dialogue occur amidst such a diversity of voices, especially as polarisation and insularity increase? Is it possible to presuppose a shared human moral compass?

These questions have deep historical roots. Many ancient thinkers address the nexus between divine or revealed moral laws and a universal law that all humans can comprehend independently. This relationship between revealed and universal morality is a recurring theme in many Jewish texts from the Hellenistic and Roman eras, including the later writings of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Each of these texts explores this theme in distinctive ways. For instance, Philo of Alexandria equates the Law of Moses to the Stoic Law of Nature, portraying the wise individual as a cosmopolitan who aligns with Nature. Sirach connects the Law of Moses to wisdom as a universal ethical principle. Other texts envision a universally shared morality at the end of time, when all nations will turn to the God of Israel. The apostle Paul presents yet another viewpoint: he sees the Law of Moses as an ethical guide, but not as a prerequisite for those wishing to belong to the God of Israel.

This project seeks to unlock insights from Jewish and Christian literature from 300 BCE to 300 CE that can contribute to contemporary reflections on revealed and universal morality, particularly regarding the idea of a divine appeal or transcendence of the Good. Today, many thinkers tend to downplay the transcendent or revealed nature of morality or see revealed morality and natural reason as incompatible. Ancient Jewish authors, however, approached these concepts differently. By examining the original ways in which ancient Jewish writers articulated a morality that is both transcendent and universal, this project aims to enrich contemporary discussions that have largely overlooked these ancient sources, focusing specifically on the tension between revealed and universal morality. To achieve this, the project will compare various perspectives on this relationship in relevant ancient Jewish and early Christian writings with contemporary theological and philosophical approaches to a transcendent Good, such as cosmopolitanism and global ethics.

Within this broader framework, candidates can pursue specific lines of inquiry, including but not limited to:

• the relationship between apocalypticism, eschatology, and revealed and universal morality in ancient texts and today
• the concept of “wisdom” as a revealed or universal source of morality in ancient writings and its connection to virtue ethics
• cosmopolitanism as a philosophical, religious, and political principle in ancient texts and contemporary thought
• ethical universalism and particularism in ancient Judaism and early Christianity, compared to modern reflections on global ethics

In summary, this project fosters a critical dialogue between ancient Jewish and early Christian sources and contemporary philosophical and theological perspectives on understanding morality as both revealed and universal. In doing so, it contributes to theological reflections on the transcendent nature of the Good as a vital and potentially unifying source of morality.

This research project is part of the larger Moral Compass Project at the Protestant Theological University, which has been ongoing since 2018. The Moral Compass Project observes a paradoxical coexistence of moralism and moral embarrassment in current public discourse and aims to rethink theological concepts of “divine law” or the Good as transcendent, shaped by the history of Western thought. Such a transcendent Good could serve as a pole to which our proposed shared moral compass points: it offers direction, though we may never fully attain it. What might be the significance be of re-examining this transcendent character of the Good? How does a transcendent Good relate to the “good” that individuals can discover and experience on their own? The project encompasses subprojects that tackle fundamental themes (virtue, natural law, detachment), major questions (the openness of our worldview, the role of God as a person), and specific moral issues (euthanasia, family, freedom of speech). This proposed project uniquely integrates perspectives from Biblical and Jewish Studies with those from theology and philosophy/ethics.

What do we ask?

• a master’s in Theology, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Semitics, Classics, or a related field
• a good command of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, along with proven experience with the study of primary sources in these languages. Knowledge of other Semitic languages (such as Ge‘ez) is a plus
• experience with research at the crossroads of Biblical Studies or Jewish Studies and Philosophy or Systematic Theology, or a demonstrable capability to develop such interdisciplinary research
• an ability to collaborate and make connections between your own research and that of other researchers within the Moral Compass Project, both within and outside of the Protestant Theological University
• excellent oral and written command of the English language
• oral and written command of the Dutch language is a plus

What do we offer?

The Protestant Theological University offers good terms of employment with attention to flexibility and (personal) development. You will receive a temporary employment contract for the duration of maximum four years for 1 fte or maximum five years for 0.8 fte. Starting date: as soon as possible, but no later than 1 February 2025.

The salary will start at  € 2,872 gross per month based on full-time employment (scale P [PhD candidates] cao Dutch Universities). The vacation allowance is 8% and the year-end bonus 8.3%. There are plenty of training opportunities for personal and professional development. 

Learn more

For more information about our organisation, visit www.pthu.nl.

For questions about the position, please contact the chair of the Appointment Advisory Committee and first promotor of this project, Dr Bärry Hartog (pbhartog@pthu.nl).

For questions about the Moral Compass Project, please contact the director of the MCP and second promotor of this project, Prof Dr Petruschka Schaafsma (epschaafsma@pthu.nl).

Apply

Applications should contain the following documents:

• a motivation letter
• a curriculum vitae
• a copy of the Master’s Thesis or an equivalent publication
• a brief (maximum two pages A4) outline of how you would elaborate this project in line with the above description

Written applications can be sent to sollicitatie@pthu.nl no later than 6 December 2024, attn: Dr Bärry Hartog.

Interviews are provisionally planned in week 51 (16–20 December 2024).