ISAC Postdoctoral Fellowship in Religion, Healing, and Magic in Late Antiquity

Job Posting

Title:

ISAC Postdoctoral Fellowship in Religion, Healing, and Magic in Late Antiquity

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- Hiring Department:

Department of Religious Studies

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- Position Open To:

All Applicants

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- Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

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- FLSA Status:

Exempt

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- Earliest

Start Date:

Sep 01, 2026

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- Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2028

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- Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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- Job Details:

General Notes

The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin seeks to appoint in Fall 2026 a two-year postdoctoral fellow affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins (ISAC). We seek early career scholars with a specialization in Religion, Healing, and Magic in Late Antiquity. The fellow may have expertise in Ancient Christianity, Ancient Judaism, or Greco-Roman Religions, and may work from any relevant methodological approach.

Their focus may include topics such as: alchemy; altered states of consciousness; anatomical votives; curses; demonology and spirit possession; disability; divinatory practices and ritual expertise; epidemiology; exorcism; dietary practices and fasting; gynecology and obstetrics; healers and physicians; healing sanctuaries, hospitals, and other spaces of healing;
Hermetic traditions;
Hippocratic traditions; magical bowls and incantations; medical philosophy and education; mental health and "madness"; pain management; pediatrics; pharmacology; prosthetics; and sexual health.

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in Religious Studies or a related field with a specialization in the area of Ancient Mediterranean Religions. ABD applicants must receive the Ph.D. before the appointment begins in August 2026. Ph.D. must have been received no more than three years prior to the start date. Besides a competitive stipend, this position includes support for relocation, research expenses, and organizing a research symposium or conference.

Review of applications will begin Oct. 31, 2025. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Purpose

To conduct postdoctoral research in the field of religion, healing, and magic in Late Antiquity.

Responsibilities:

* Perform research on topics related to religion, healing, and magic in Late Antiquity with the intent to publish

* Teach three courses over two years, with the possible option of one course being a graduate seminar.

* Organize and execute an interdisciplinary conference or research symposium on campus that involves collaboration with other programs and units on campus, such as the Humanities, Health & Medicine Program, the Dell Medical School, and the College of Natural Sciences

* Present at a departmental colloquium

* Participate in departmental grant-writing efforts

* Participate in department and university intellectual communities and programs concerning Ancient Mediterranean Religions

Required Qualifications:

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in Religious Studies or a related field in the area of Ancient Mediterranean Religions by the time of appointment. Ph.D. must have been received no more than three years prior to the start date.

Salary Range

$65,000

Working Conditions

Typical office environment

Required Materials:

* CV

* The names of 3 academic references with their contact information

* Letter of interest

* A brief writing sample (no more than 12,000 words)

* A syllabus for an undergraduate course

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:
You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.

Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:
As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application.

The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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- Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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- Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20…