Chair, Department of Biblical and Religious Studies (9-Mo-TT)

Samford University’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences invites individuals interested in serving in a Christian university environment to submit applications for the position of chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies. This 9-month, tenure-track faculty position will begin in August 2024. Qualifications and experience must be consistent with appointment at the rank of full professor. The compensation package for this department chair position, with approval of the Board of Trustees, will include an endowed chair appointment.

The chair will teach two courses per semester, and oversee the department’s mission, curriculum, faculty and recruitment. The chair will teach the Biblical Foundations course in the university’s Core Curriculum and other undergraduate courses in the chair’s area of expertise. The chair plays a pivotal role in representing the department within the university and its constituencies.

Qualified candidates will hold a Ph.D. and have a record of excellence in teaching and research, with a specialization in Biblical Studies or Christian Theology. Administrative experience desired.  Qualified applicants will be Baptists with a demonstrated history of membership in Baptist Churches and significant experience in Baptist life.  Required qualifications will also include at least 18 graduate credit hours in biblical studies. Candidates must be comfortable mentoring students who come from a variety of Christian denominations and traditions. Candidates must affirm the Baptist Faith and Message of 1963, including the preface and without added interpretation (see Samford Faculty Handbook section A5.1 for full information). Candidates must also be committed to promoting the study of biblical, theological, and religious studies as a central academic pursuit in the university and as valuable to the intellectual, vocational, and spiritual maturation of students. A commitment to academic excellence and the ability to work effectively with faculty, students and colleagues is expected. Candidates must be willing to support the Christian mission of Samford University.

The Department of Biblical and Religious Studies has eleven full-time faculty and several part-time adjunct professors. The department has approximately 40 majors and 30 minors from many states and denominations. The department offers academically rigorous courses in Christian and religious studies, with a focus on preparing students for various kinds of Christian ministry and other leadership roles. The department plays a pivotal role at Samford, teaching at least one course to every undergraduate student, supporting the general education curriculum with multiple offerings and working closely with many programs, including the Christian Ministry Department, the Center for Congregational Resources, and Samford’s Beeson Divinity School.

Samford University (samford.edu) is a leading nationally ranked Christian University.  Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87^th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.  It is the largest privately supported and fully accredited institution for higher learning in Alabama. Located in the Birmingham, Alabama, suburb of Homewood, with 425 full-time faculty and more than 5,700 students representing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 22 countries. The University is dedicated to the promotion of rigorous academic inquiry in a Christian setting.  Samford University and the Howard College of Arts and Sciences embrace diversity in their faculty, students and staff and encourage application from those who would add to the diversity of our academic community. The University offers competitive salaries with a generous benefits package. 

Applications will be accepted until December 1, 2023, at which time the review of applications will begin. Please incorporate into a single PDF file a letter of application, curriculum vitae with a list of at least three references, evidence of teaching effectiveness, description of leadership experience, research interests and activities, application for faculty position and faculty applicant Christian mission statement. Please also provide a statement of your philosophy of teaching in a Christian university that could be specifically supported by two course syllabi from any classes you have taught within the last three semesters. The teaching philosophy must also include a discussion of how the candidate has contributed to Christian mission in their career to this point and how the candidate hopes to contribute to the Christian mission of Samford as expressed in the university mission, vision and values statement.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States, as Samford will not sponsor any employment visas for this position.

The “Application for Faculty Position” can be found at: https://www.samford.edu/departments/files/Human_Resources/application-for-faculty- employment.pdf

The “Faculty Applicant Christian Mission Statement” can be found at: https://www.samford.edu/departments/files/academic-affairs/Faculty-Applicant- Christian-Mission-Statement.docx

Please submit all materials to:

FACAPP@samford.edu

Please include “BREL Chair – YOUR NAME” as the subject line.

Except as specifically exempted by federal law requirements, Samford University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability or age in the administration or application of its educational programs and policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs. Consistent with its Christian mission and organizations, Samford is exempt from the religious provisions of Title VII pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sections 2000e-1(a) and 2000e-2(e).