1. You have a passion for theological ethics
2. You obtained/will soon obtain your Master's degree with good results and meet the requirements for admission to one of the doctoral programmesoftheFacultyofTheologyandReligiousStudies (https://theo.kuleuven.be/en/doctorate/procedure_doctoraatsaanvraag).
3. You have at least a basic overview of Catholic theological (and especially sexual) ethics, including contemporary developments
in the discipline.
4. You have experience with or at least an interest in qualitative empirical research.
5. You can work independently, have a sense of responsibility and take initiative.
6. You are able to work in a team, collaborate with other researchers involved in the project and can work in an interdisciplinary manner.
7. You speak and write fluently in English and have active knowledge of either Dutch or French.
8. You have not had a PhD scholarship yet.
On December 18, 2023, the blessing of same-sex unions in the Roman Catholic Church was allowed by the Vatican Dicastery for the
Doctrine of the Faith. The Belgian bishops made a similar statement one year earlier. This sparked many reactions, ranging from enthusiasm
to protest. Time and again, beliefs around Catholic identity are being debated in relation to these positions on LGBTQ+ matters. On an
individual level, Catholics shape their religious identity in dialogue with past and present views on LGBTQ+ matters in church and society.
The project focusses on these processes of negotiation of one’s religious identity in relation to LGBTQ+ matters within the Roman-Catholic
Church in a cross-cultural perspective (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Croatia). Various data will be analysed: interviews, historical
and contemporary normative sources and social media. In this way, the project aims to shed light on epistemological questions regarding
identity construction and agency, memory and memory communities and cultural interactions and will delve into the intricate relationship
between individual religious identity and the social institutions, church communities, and societal context.
This PhD position fits within the theological-ethical research line of this project and focuses in particular on fundamental epistemological and
normative implications of the data that the project will gather and its analysis. These implications might necessitate a rethinking of key aspects of
theological ethics – its underlying anthropology, its method (especially in relation to its sources), as well as a whole range of applied issues.The succesful candidate will:
9. Work on the preparation and defense of a doctoral dissertation on the basis of publications within the project.
10. Publish academic articles related to the research project.
11. Present the research at conferences at home and abroad.
12. Collaborate closely with the other PhD researchers of the project
13. Contribute to the organisation of events, activities and other tasks related to the project and its research (workshop, meetings with
14. project partners)
15. If the candidate is eligible, submit one application for a FWO PhD Fellowship fundamental research
16. Assist the supervisor with a limited package of teaching and research support tasks within the Faculty of Theology and Religious
17. Studies at KU Leuven.
KU Leuven Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for a PhD position for theresearch project 'Processes of Agency, Negotiation and Identity Construction (PANIC): Lived Religion and LGBTQ+ in relation to CatholicNorms and Practices in Europe from Historical, Ethical and Practical Theological Perspectives’. This project is supervised by DriesBosschaert, Annemie Dillen, and Nenad Polgar.
18. We offer a full-time doctoral position for a period of one year. The position is renewable, after positive evaluation, to a maximum period of four years.
19. The planned start date is 1 July 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
20. Your monthly salary is calculated according to the amounts for PhD scholarship holders in the scales for academic staff.
21. You will conduct research in a dynamic and stimulating working environment at KU Leuven.