School of Divinity
Salary: £27,511 - £30,046 per annum pro rata
Start Date: As soon as possible, but no later than
1 February 2021
Fixed Term: 6 months (end date no later than 31 July 2021)
Part Time: 0.3 FTE
The School of Divinity proposes to
engage a part-time research assistant to contribute to
a new research project on the coasts of Fife as religious and spiritual
landscapes. The position is fixed term for 6 months, with the end date no
later than 31 July 2021.
The project will
investigate the coasts of Fife as sacred landscapes, approaching the topic
under two headings, and culminating in a final report which will be the basis
for future partnerships, funding, and research:
The religious
history of the coasts includes the nature and history of
coastal religious sites and institutions (the cathedral, the priories, the
parishes, St Fillan’s Cave, etc), and also how these have shaped the landscape
itself (through interventions like the Lade Braes, the paths parishioners
walked to church, etc). Related work has been done for the interior of
Fife to establish the Fife Pilgrim Way.
Coasts are distinguished
by their cultural liminality. In Fife, where fields continue
nearly to the water’s edge, they represent meeting places of lives orientated
towards agriculture or fishing – often in the shared parish church.
Beyond this, however, coastal villages are more open to the wider world, and
can become conduits for new ideas. It is not by happenstance that Fife
and St Andrews were the centre of the early Reformation in Scotland – books, pamphlets,
and scholars arrived by sea through the ports of the East Neuk.
The research will be
directed by William Hyland (Lecturer in Church History) and Brendan Wolfe
(Honorary Reader in Historical Theology). It will contribute
to the Fife Sustainable Natural and Cultural Coastal Zone project,
which is an interdisciplinary initiative involving five of the
University’s academic Schools, the Wardlaw Museum, the University’s
Music Centre, and local community organisations.
The project is
part-funded by the St Andrews Restarting Interdisciplinary Research Fund
(SARIRF), which endeavours to support the restarting of research interrupted by
Covid-19.
The successful candidate
will conduct directed research drawing on historical and
topographical primary and secondary sources to prepare a report on
the coasts of Fife as a sacred landscape, primarily in the Christian tradition,
reflecting on the coast as a liminal space in spirituality and history.
The successful candidate will further draw on this report to co-ordinate
with the other Coastal Zone researchers include religious history and
topography in the Coastal Zone’s outputs, most importantly its online research
portal.
Competitive candidates
will be expected to have experience of
research in Scottish, Christian, or landscape history
and will be able to demonstrate an interest in cultural
heritage. It is necessary that candidates be self-motivated, have
experience of research at a high level, and have some familiarity
with religious history and practice.
Further information and
informal enquiries may be directed to Sterling Yates,
email:
sterling.yates@st-andrews.ac.uk or to Dorothy
Campbell, email:
dc225@st-andrews.ac.uk
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA MUST BE MET FOR A COMPLETE APPLICATION:
Covering letter (max. 1 pages)
CV
A writing sample, if possible
relevant to the project’s aims (to be uploaded as a supporting document)
Applications
are particularly welcome from women, people from the Black, Asian, Minority or
Ethnic (BAME) community and other protected characteristics who are
under-represented in Academic posts at the University.
The University is
committed to equality for all, demonstrated through our working on diversity
awards (ECU Athena SWAN/Race Charters; Carer Positive; LGBT Charter; and
Stonewall). More details can be found at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/diversityawards/.
This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by the UKVI to
enable sponsorship of migrant workers. Further information can be found
at
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/immigration/.
Closing Date: 5
January 2021 at 12 noon (UK Time)
Please quote ref:
AR2453NB
Further Particulars: AR2453NB FPs.doc
School of Divinity
Salary: £27,511 - £30,046 per annum pro rata
Start Date: As soon as possible, but no later than 1 February 2021
Fixed Term: 6 months (end date no later than 31 July 2021)
Part Time: 0.3 FTE