Tenure track position as Assistant Professor in Practical Theology and Contemporary Christianity, Aarhus University
The Department of Theology, School of Culture and Society, invites applications for a tenure track position as assistant professor in Practical Theology and Contemporary Christianity. The position will commence on September 1st, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
An assistant professorship is a full-time, training position that involves research and teaching at the BA, MA and PhD level and includes an obligatory course in university teaching for assistant professors.
The tenure-track position begins with a full-time, fixed-term three-year appointment as
assistant professor with a view to permanent employment as associate professor.
Tenure as an associate professor is subject to necessary funding and conditional upon the assistant professor being assessed as qualified for the position of associate professor before the end of the third year of employment at the latest or, if the tenure-track candidate requests, before the end of the third year. The assessment is based on the assistant professor’s fulfilment of the qualification requirements that apply to associate professorships and the criteria stated in this advertisement. If the assessment is positive, the candidate will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
Place of employment: Aarhus University, Department of Theology, School of Culture and Society, Tåsingegade 3, Aarhus, Denmark.
In its pursuit of academic excellence, The Faculty of Arts is committed to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc.
The position is offered with a view to attracting talented applicants with an excellent and well-documented track record in innovative and internationally recognised research in practical theology, preferably with an empirical and contemporary approach.
The School of Culture and Society wishes to strengthen the integration of university education with external stakeholders and the surrounding society, also in terms of didactics, curricula and digitalisation. The ideal candidate therefore has a strong interest in research and teaching in the subject area in relation to external stakeholders and broader society. This might include, but is not limited to, majority and minority churches, civil society and NGO’s, and/or public sector, preferably in a Danish or Scandinavian context.
We are looking for a candidate with a background in practical theology, preferably with an empirical approach.
The School of Culture and Society places emphasis on research of a high international
standard, including interdisciplinary collaboration, participation in collective research
projects and the attraction of external research funding. The successful applicant will also be expected to present plans for the development of new research projects with internal and external partners and for raising external research funding.
The applicant’s research credentials and publication record within the field of practical theology and contemporary Christianity will be assessed not just on existing publications and other research contributions but also on the perceived research potential.
Past research achievements will be assessed based on the active research time of the applicant in question. We therefore ask applicants to specify any career breaks they have had (for instance due to maternity/paternity leave) in order to gauge their research productivity.
References or recommendations should not be included with the application. Applicants who are selected for a job interview may be asked to provide professional references.
The tenure-track assistant professor must have contributed actively to the academic, research and collegial environment of the The Department of Theology. At the time of the tenure review for the associate professor position, the tenure-track assistant professor will be expected to have developed a strong research profile at a high international level and to have published the equivalent of at least two peer-reviewed scholarly articles per year.
The tenure-track assistant professor is further expected to have contributed actively to collaborative research and research initiatives with local, national and/or international researchers in the field, including participation in attracting external research funding. It will be considered an advantage if the tenure-track assistant professor has completed a research period at one or more recognised research institutions abroad by the time of the tenure review.
At the time of the tenure review for the position of tenured associate professor, the tenure-track assistant professor must document the ability to undertake teaching tasks independently at all levels within their core subject area and the breadth of their teaching competencies, including supervision. Depending on the nature and ECTS weighting of the specific classes, they must have taught three to four courses per year. In addition, they must have engaged in student mentorship and thesis supervision at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels and conducted both written and oral examinations. The tenure-track assistant professor is also expected to have participated in curriculum development. Finally, the university’s teacher training programme for assistant professors must be completed before the tenure review. If the assessment is positive, the tenure-track assistant professor will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
In addition, the tenure-track assistant professor must document their contributions in relation to external stakeholders and broader society. This might include, but is not limited to, majority and minority churches, civil society and NGO’s, and/or public sector, preferably in a Danish or Scandinavian context.
If the successful applicant is not fluent in Danish, s/he will be expected to acquire the language within a period of approximately two years.
In order to maintain and develop the department’s research environment, the person appointed is expected to be present at the department on a daily basis.
Applications must be uploaded in English.
For further information about the content of the position, please contact Head of Department of Theology, Jakob Egeris Thorsen teojet@cas.au.dk.
For further information about the application procedure, please contact iks-hr-sag@au.dk.
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An assistant professorship is a full-time, training position that involves research and teaching at the BA, MA and PhD level and includes an obligatory course in university teaching for assistant professors.
The tenure-track position begins with a full-time, fixed-term three-year appointment as
assistant professor with a view to permanent employment as associate professor.
Tenure as an associate professor is subject to necessary funding and conditional upon the assistant professor being assessed as qualified for the position of associate professor before the end of the third year of employment at the latest or, if the tenure-track candidate requests, before the end of the third year. The assessment is based on the assistant professor’s fulfilment of the qualification requirements that apply to associate professorships and the criteria stated in this advertisement. If the assessment is positive, the candidate will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
Place of employment: Aarhus University, Department of Theology, School of Culture and Society, Tåsingegade 3, Aarhus, Denmark.
In its pursuit of academic excellence, The Faculty of Arts is committed to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc.
The position
The position is a combined teaching and research position.The position is offered with a view to attracting talented applicants with an excellent and well-documented track record in innovative and internationally recognised research in practical theology, preferably with an empirical and contemporary approach.
The School of Culture and Society wishes to strengthen the integration of university education with external stakeholders and the surrounding society, also in terms of didactics, curricula and digitalisation. The ideal candidate therefore has a strong interest in research and teaching in the subject area in relation to external stakeholders and broader society. This might include, but is not limited to, majority and minority churches, civil society and NGO’s, and/or public sector, preferably in a Danish or Scandinavian context.
Research
The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to core activities at the School of Culture and Society and Aarhus University in general and to strengthen the Department of Theology research activities and output in particular. Applicants will be expected to take an interest in interdisciplinary research collaboration within relevant research programmes within the department and beyond.We are looking for a candidate with a background in practical theology, preferably with an empirical approach.
The School of Culture and Society places emphasis on research of a high international
standard, including interdisciplinary collaboration, participation in collective research
projects and the attraction of external research funding. The successful applicant will also be expected to present plans for the development of new research projects with internal and external partners and for raising external research funding.
The applicant’s research credentials and publication record within the field of practical theology and contemporary Christianity will be assessed not just on existing publications and other research contributions but also on the perceived research potential.
Past research achievements will be assessed based on the active research time of the applicant in question. We therefore ask applicants to specify any career breaks they have had (for instance due to maternity/paternity leave) in order to gauge their research productivity.
Education/Teaching
The successful applicant must be prepared to teach in the BA and MA programmes, primarily in Theology, but also in Religious Studies. This includes undergraduate courses in Practical Theology and Contemporary Christianity and MA-courses following the guidelines of the study programmes of Theology and Religious Studies, respectively. Furthermore, applicants should present plans for integrating relations and cooperation with external stakeholders, cf. the description of the position above.Knowledge exchange
It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as described in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts Strategy Arts 2020-2025 (au.dk), for instance research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society partners or the public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.Qualifications
Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent qualifications in practical theology or a related discipline. They must also be able to document the following:- An internationally oriented research profile documented through relevant academic publications, and possibly other research contributions, at the international level. Submit a full publication list and a maximum of two publications
- Experience of university-level teaching and a commitment to teaching development and the supervision of student projects
- Documented qualifications in relevant empirical methods
- A documented research focus and interest in practical theology and/or contemporary Christianity in Europe, preferably in a Nordic context
- Experience of active participation in international research collaboration
- Experience of or plan for obtaining external research funding.
References or recommendations should not be included with the application. Applicants who are selected for a job interview may be asked to provide professional references.
Tenure review
To obtain tenure, the tenure-track assistant professor must be assessed as qualified for an associate professorship no later than during the final six months of the fixed-term employment period. If the tenure-track assistant professor requests, the assessment may occur earlier within the fixed-term employment period. The assessment is based on the fulfilment of the qualification requirements applicable to associate professorships.The tenure-track assistant professor must have contributed actively to the academic, research and collegial environment of the The Department of Theology. At the time of the tenure review for the associate professor position, the tenure-track assistant professor will be expected to have developed a strong research profile at a high international level and to have published the equivalent of at least two peer-reviewed scholarly articles per year.
The tenure-track assistant professor is further expected to have contributed actively to collaborative research and research initiatives with local, national and/or international researchers in the field, including participation in attracting external research funding. It will be considered an advantage if the tenure-track assistant professor has completed a research period at one or more recognised research institutions abroad by the time of the tenure review.
At the time of the tenure review for the position of tenured associate professor, the tenure-track assistant professor must document the ability to undertake teaching tasks independently at all levels within their core subject area and the breadth of their teaching competencies, including supervision. Depending on the nature and ECTS weighting of the specific classes, they must have taught three to four courses per year. In addition, they must have engaged in student mentorship and thesis supervision at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels and conducted both written and oral examinations. The tenure-track assistant professor is also expected to have participated in curriculum development. Finally, the university’s teacher training programme for assistant professors must be completed before the tenure review. If the assessment is positive, the tenure-track assistant professor will be offered a tenured position as an associate professor at Aarhus University.
In addition, the tenure-track assistant professor must document their contributions in relation to external stakeholders and broader society. This might include, but is not limited to, majority and minority churches, civil society and NGO’s, and/or public sector, preferably in a Danish or Scandinavian context.
Language and further information
Applicants must be able to teach and supervise in English at university level.If the successful applicant is not fluent in Danish, s/he will be expected to acquire the language within a period of approximately two years.
In order to maintain and develop the department’s research environment, the person appointed is expected to be present at the department on a daily basis.
Applications must be uploaded in English.
For further information about the content of the position, please contact Head of Department of Theology, Jakob Egeris Thorsen teojet@cas.au.dk.
For further information about the application procedure, please contact iks-hr-sag@au.dk.
The work environment
The Department of Theology has a core staff of 20 researchers and language teachers and covers all the traditional theological disciplines: Biblical Exegesis, Systematic Theology, Church History and Practical Theology. It is the department's goal to be a stimulating work environment characterized by openness, collaboration, and mutual professional stimulation across the different disciplines. The department and its students organize many academic and social events and aim to have a lively exchange with the surrounding society, including alumni who work in church and cultural life.The School of Culture and Society
The School of Culture and Society is a vibrant research community dedicated to understanding the cultural and social conditions that shape human life. Our work examines how people interact with their environments, from prehistory to the present, and across both local contexts and global dynamics. Through cross-sector and cross-disciplinary partnerships, we aim to drive research innovation and contribute to address the major questions facing society. In both research and education, we are committed to bringing the humanities into active dialogue with partners beyond the university.The School is committed to:
- Fostering an international environment characterized by strong academic and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Embracing an innovative and experimental approach to research, teaching, and communication.
- Cultivating a school that both generates knowledge and educates students for the present and future.
- Advancing a broad engagement with digital humanities.
- Upholding a strong commitment to both local and global societal challenges.
- Creating an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable workplace and organization.
International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to checkWorking and living with your family in Denmark for further information about the benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including aRelocation and onboarding services for international AU staffand career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see Taxation aspects of international researchers' employment by AU.Qualification requirements
Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.
Formalities:
- Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
- Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
- Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
- Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
- The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, a research plan, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting
About Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of Northern Europe’s most significant faculties for research and higher education in the humanities, theology and education. Within this broad academic scope, the faculty comprises approximately 700 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students, and 1,500 further and continuing education students. We believe that the best ideas arise when different perspectives meet – and that research, teaching and innovation are best developed in dialogue with the surrounding society.
You can find more information here: Faculty of Arts | Aarhus University
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.You can find more information here: Faculty of Arts | Aarhus University
Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
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Deadline: 18 March 2026
Academic contact person:
Jakob Egeris Thorsen
Lektor, afdelingsleder
+4587169147
teojet@cas.au.dk
+4560740971
Vacant positions: 1
Hours per week: 37
Expected date of accession: 01 September 2026