The University of Helsinki received seven applications for the doctoral student position in the REECR project. The selection process proceeds as follows: The Project Director (Uro) and the Chair of the New Testamanent Doctoral Program (Ismo Dunderberg) will draw up a shortlist of applicants. The shortlisted candidates will then be reviewed by the external advisors of the project. The process may also involve interviews of the top candidates. The final decision will made in November.

The REECR project held its first meeting in Helsinki, 2-4 September. Among the many things discussed in the meeting, the project decided to meet four times in 2014. The next planning meeting will be in Baltimore (SBL Annual, Nov 2013) and the next after that in January, in the context of the final workshop of the Nordic Network on “Socio-Cognitive Perspectives on Early Judaism and Early Christianity”, Helsinki, January 8-10. An open seminar will also be held in the same occasion. Follow the “events” on the REECR website.

New materials have been posted on the website about the individual projects of the researchers and their publications.

Job announcement for a doctoral student in the REECR project now published!

The length of the appointment is 3-4 years, beginning on 1.1.2014 at the latest. The appointed doctoral student will be situated at the Faculty of Theology, and will enter into an employment relationship with the University of Helsinki.

The dissertation project will be carried out as part of the collective research project “Ritual and the Emergence of Early Christian Religion: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis (REECR),” funded by the Academy of Finland and directed by Risto Uro. The doctoral student will be part of an interdisciplinary team, consisting of a director of research (Risto Uro), who will also serve as the doctoral student’s supervisor, and of postdoctoral researchers, along with an international group of external advisors and collaborators. The project’s working language is English. In addition to completing the dissertation work, the doctoral student will contribute to some extent to teaching and other academic activities, as determined by the Faculty.

The appointee should hold a Master’s degree in Theology, Religious Studies or a related field (or the degree will be completed by December 2013 at the latest), and should show competence in studying the New Testament and early Christian sources. The applicant should propose a dissertation project related to the theme and methodology of the REECR research project, and should be prepared to adapt it according to the aims and objectives of the REECR project and to the allocation of work in the research team. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee should have good English skills.

The complete job announcement can be found at Open positions, University of Helsinki. The application process guidelines can be found here.

For more information, contact project director Risto Uro (risto.uro@helsinki.fi).

Welcome to the website of the Nordic project on “Ritual and the Emergence of Early Christian Religion: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis”. The website is currently under construction.