Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

College of Arts and Sciences

Position: Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

Stetson University invites applications for a tenure-track position in biblical studies (specialist in the Hebrew Bible [Old Testament]) at the assistant professor level in the Department of Religious Studies.   

Qualifications:

The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in biblical studies in hand by September 2021. We are seeking a colleague with a strong commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching, an active scholarly agenda, and a willingness to be a strong, contributing member of the Department and the University community.

Responsibilities:  

The teaching load is three courses per semester.  Teaching assignments will include introductory courses in biblical studies and upper-division courses more specifically in Hebrew Bible. Such courses would be expected to support the Jewish Studies program offerings.  The successful candidate should be conversant with biblical studies within Judaism and Christianity as well as specialized segments of the Hebrew Bible. Although specific courses will be based on the candidate’s expertise, the ability to teach courses that satisfy specific general education requirements, such as Culture and Belief, Historical Inquiry, and Personal and Social Responsibility requirements (including courses in Ethical and Spiritual Inquiry, Human Diversity, and Social Justice) is expected. In addition to courses in biblical studies, other course assignments may include a First-Year Seminar or Junior Seminar, Senior Research, Methods and Theories in the Study of Religion, and the Department Colloquium. The Religious Studies department is committed to an open and accepting environment in which students of varying backgrounds and aspirations critically engage topics involving race, gender, class, and religion, among others, and encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds and/or experience in these areas to apply.

Candidates should demonstrate a passion for teaching and scholarship, and a commitment to service.  For more information on our expectations in teaching and scholarship, our tenure policies, and our support for faculty development, please see the Academic Affairs website:

https://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/faculty-resources/index.php

The Department:

The Department of Religious Studies (https://www.stetson.edu/artsci/religion/) offers a major and minor in Religious Studies and is comprised of faculty committed to excellence in undergraduate teaching and to significant student/faculty interaction.   Focusing exclusively on undergraduate education, the Department defines its mission as helping students explore the role of religion in shaping human cultures through studies of sacred texts, languages, ethics, beliefs, rituals, spiritual methods, and the history of religious traditions.  The Department has five full-time faculty.

College of Arts and Sciences:

Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.stetson.edu/portal/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts.  With nineteen academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University.  A great strength of the College is its faculty of approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars.  The College offers 31 undergraduate majors and 34 undergraduate minors; six graduate degrees are offered in Education, Counselor Education, and Creative Writing.  Every undergraduate major requires a senior research project, giving students the opportunity to design and carry out independent research under faculty mentorship.  Our academic programs are shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility.  All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional, and global community.  The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences prepare students to live significant lives, to interact with and positively affect the world around them.

The University: 

Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs.  Collectively, Stetson’s teacher-scholar faculty works with nearly 4,300 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.  The University’s historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls more than 3,000 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music.  Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1945, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves over 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees.  The University’s graduate programs include Business, Accounting, Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Creative Writing. Stetson has regularly been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. 

Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning.  Working closely with faculty, staff, and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively.  Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally, and globally.

The Community:

DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 32,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

Salary:  Salary is competitive.

Starting Date:  August 11, 2021

Application:

Applicants should supply cover letter, a statement on the applicant’s philosophy of teaching and learning in a liberal learning environment, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference.  In the cover letter, candidates are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion.

All information may be submitted electronically to the Department of Religious Studies at religiousstudies@stetson.edu with the subject, Faculty Position.  While electronic submissions are preferred, alternatively application materials may be mailed to:

Department of Religious Studies
Stetson University
421 N. Woodland Blvd. Unit 8354
DeLand, FL 32723

Review of applications will begin January 15, 2021 and continue until the position is filled.

Stetson University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence at Stetson University. We are committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a globalized world. We strongly encourage members of historically under-represented and economically-disadvantaged groups and women to apply for employment. Stetson University is an EEO, ADA, ADEA, and GINA employer.