Doctoral Researcher in the Study of Religion
We are recruiting 8-10 early-career researchers at different career stages (doctoral researchers and postdoctoral researchers for fixed-term employment) to the four UH-based research groups within the Centre of Excellence, Meliorist Philosophy of Suffering (MePhiS), funded by the Research Council of Finland. At a later stage, we will also recruit university researchers.
MePhiS will engage in philosophical and interdisciplinary scholarship that places the concept of suffering at the center of philosophical reflection and offers conceptual and argumentative tools for a deeper understanding of human engagement with affliction, starting from the meliorist (Lat. melior, better) idea that the world can and should be made better through active human efforts. According to meliorism, a positive outcome is neither guaranteed (optimism) nor impossible (pessimism). MePhiS aims at (1) reinterpreting ethical and other philosophical issues by emphasizing their entanglement with suffering; (2) integrating philosophical inquiries into suffering and meliorism with research emerging from key disciplines in the humanities, especially the history of ideas, literary studies, and theology and religious studies; and (3) critically renewing relevant philosophical and interdisciplinary methodology.
As a research team within MePhiS, the group Future, Futurelessness, and Vernacular Responses to Suffering seeks researchers in the field of the study of religion to investigate both empirically and theoretically the vernacular responses to suffering within the contexts of lived spirituality and lived non-religion today. The questions we aim to explore include the following: What are the vernacular responses to suffering (including explanations, justifications, imaginations, and rituals), particularly in relation to human and non-human death, climate change, loss of nature, inequality, and changes in the media landscape? Whose suffering is deemed more justified than that of others? What perspectives and tools do various religious and non-religious worldviews, standpoints, and practices offer for addressing suffering today? Who are the vernacular authorities on the meaning of suffering, and how do they justify their roles? We are interested in the expressions of optimism, pessimism, and meliorism among caregivers of the elderly and the dying, young adults and migrants, or other groups that provide unique perspectives on suffering and potential ways to alleviate it.
Towards these ends, we invite applications for a Doctoral Researcher in the Study of Religion or a four-year (or less, depending on the stage of the thesis) employment contract starting in February 2026 or as agreed. We are looking for a promising junior scholar with a master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., religious studies, anthropology or sociology of religion).
The researcher will be responsible for
- Writing a doctoral dissertation within the aforementioned theme, based on a research plan approved by the dissertation supervisors;
- Completing the credits required for a doctoral degree in the doctoral programme in theology and religious studies (or another relevant UH doctoral programme);
- Collaborating with the other CoE members in theoretical work, including joint publications;
- Collaborating on joint workshops and other academic activities within MePhiS.
Requirements for the position and assessment of qualifications
According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to the position of doctoral researcher shall hold a master’s degree and the right to complete a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki or shall be granted the right to complete a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki during the trial period at the beginning of the employment relationship.
Other requirements shall include an approved research proposal, the ability and motivation, as demonstrated in previous degree studies and otherwise, to pursue postgraduate studies and a doctoral degree according to the study plan and research proposal.
When assessing applicants’ qualifications, attention will be paid to the suitability of the research topic to the overall aims of MePhiS and the promise of internationally high-quality research.
The position is filled with a six-month trial period.
What we offer
The salary for the position will be based on levels 2-4 of the job requirement scheme for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The annual gross salary is €31,500 – 39.500 depending on the stage of the thesis.
In Finnish universities, the teaching and research staff (app. 65% of total staff) have a special system regarding the free time equivalent to holiday. They belong to the 1,612 annual working hour system, in which the annual amount of paid holiday is app. 5-6 weeks on average per year.
The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.
The University provides support for internationally recruited employees with their transition to work and life in Finland. More information here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome-finland-information-arriving-staff
Four research groups within MePhiS are based at the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, on the City Centre Campus, while one group is based at Tampere University. The Faculty of Theology is well-known for its internationally acknowledged research in all the fields represented by MePhiS, and there are close ties with the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Science, as well as other units on the City Centre Campus.
How to apply
The application must be accompanied by the following documents in PDF format:
- A curriculum vitae
- Research plan for the doctoral research (max 3 pages, explaining how the planned dissertation would contribute to achieving the general aims of MePhiS)
- Study transcript of the master’s degree
- Names and contact information of two referees
- A reference letter by the (prospective) dissertation supervisor (if external to MePhiS)
- A possible list of publications
Other attachments, including letters of recommendation or certificates, are not required at this point. We expect that you will send us a self-written application that reflects your own voice and thoughts. Applications generated by artificial intelligence do not meet our expectations.
Applications must be submitted through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below. Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal.
Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Terhi Utriainen (terhi.utriainen(at)helsinki.fi) or MePhiS CoE Director, Professor Sami Pihlström, (sami.pihlstrom(at)helsinki.fi). Further information about the recruitment process can be obtained from HR Specialist Reeta Korhonen (hr-teoltdk(at)helsinki.fi).
A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.
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Based on its research plan, MePhiS will engage in philosophical and interdisciplinary scholarship at the highest international level. It will place the concept of suffering at the center of philosophical reflection and offer conceptual and argumentative tools for a deeper understanding of human engagement with affliction, starting from the meliorist (Lat. melior, better) idea that the world can and should be made better through active human efforts. According to meliorism, a positive outcome is neither guaranteed (optimism) nor impossible (pessimism). MePhiS aims at (1) reinterpreting not only key issues in ethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of religion but also philosophical problems more widely by emphasizing their entanglement with suffering; (2) integrating philosophical inquiries into suffering and meliorism with research emerging from key disciplines in the humanities, especially the history of ideas, literary studies, and theology and religious studies; and (3) critically renewing relevant philosophical and interdisciplinary methodology. A range of fundamental questions and topics in these fields will be pursued, e.g., the theodicy/antitheodicy debate and its extensions beyond the philosophy of religion, legal and ethical discussions of extreme human and non-human suffering in history (medieval and early modern), literary versions of meliorism, and responses to suffering in vernacular religion/worldviews.
Among the five research groups (work packages, WPs) of MePhiS, WPs 1, 2, 3, and 5 will be hosted by the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, while WP4 will be hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University. The general themes of the WPs are the following:
WP1: Antitheodicy and the methodology of meliorist philosophy of suffering
WP2: Suffering and the problem of life in contemporary philosophy of religion
WP3: History of ethics and law of responding to suffering
WP4: Suffering and meliorism in literature and the philosophy of literature (Tampere University, separate recruitment)
WP5: Future, futurelessness, and vernacular responses to suffering
MePhiS expects its researchers to be internationally highly active in publishing and other relevant academic activities. While MePhiS supports its members’ individual academic autonomy, the recruited scholars will work closely together as a research cluster (also across the different WPs) and are expected to contribute to realizing the joint research plan of the entire CoE. At the same time, all MePhiS researchers based at UH will be members of the larger academic community of the Faculty of Theology. The working language of MePhiS will be English.