Doctoral ; m​/f​/x

Doctoral Candidate (m/f/x)

The Center for Religious Studies (CERES) is a central academic institution at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB). CERES initiates and coordinates religion-related activities in research, teaching, early-career development, and knowledge transfer. CERES is a Central Research Unit of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. It currently brings together over 50 researchers, which makes it one of the largest centers for the comparative study of religion in Europe.

The CRC 1475 “Metaphors of Religion:
Religious Meaning-Making in Language Use” and its subproject A05 "Stairway to Heaven:
Liminal Spaces in Early South Asian Sacred Architecture" are searching for a doctoral candidate to carry out research on South Asian Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture. The CRC 1475 is an interdisciplinary research network consisting of 19 subprojects and more than 40 scholars. The CRC combines research in religious studies, diverse philologies, computational linguistics, art history and theater studies on the significance of metaphors for the formation of religious meaning-making.

Based on a historically wide-ranging corpus, the CRC comparatively analyzes metaphors across traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Its research is strongly collaborative, grounded in a shared digital infrastructure and a common methodological and theoretical framework.

Subproject A05 investigates the metaphorical significance of liminal spaces—such as staircases, doorways, thresholds, and gateways—in early South Asian Buddhist and Hindu sacred architecture (3rd c. BCE–6th c. CE). It examines how these elements act as practical and metaphorical thresholds shaping religious experience, mediating access to the sacred, and negotiating identity and authority. By analysing their visual programmes and spatial settings, the project examines the relationship between materiality and metaphor in three-dimensional religious environments.

The Ph.D. candidate (m/f/x) is the main project team member and will carry out the core research of the subproject under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jessie Pons. The successful candidate will be associated with the CRC’s Graduate School of Metaphor and Religion (GSMR) and will benefit from structured supervision, integrated research training and funded opportunities for research activities abroad. The position is subject to a pending funding commitment from the German Research Foundation (DFG) expected in mid‑May 2026.

The position of research associate (TV‑L E13) is to be filled for 42 months starting on July 1st, 2026.

• Scope: part‑time
• Duration: fixed‑term, 31.12.2029 (end of the project)
• Start: 01.07.2026
• Apply by: 2026‑03‑20

• Compile and document the corpus of architectural case studies (including fieldwork in Europe, India, and Pakistan)
• Conduct in‑depth analysis of the corpus
• Write a doctoral dissertation (to be published as a monograph)
• Participate in the GSMR curriculum
• Contribute to CRC working groups and workshops

• MA in South Asian Art/Archaeology or a related field
• Interest in conceptual metaphor theory and religious studies
• Interest in Digital Humanities
• Willingness to contribute to academic publications and presentations
• Very good knowledge of English or German, and a willingness to learn a language in the field of research

• An interdisciplinary research environment including colleagues from art history, religious studies, philology, computational linguistics, and digital humanities
• The opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in a structured graduate program with strong support
• Flexible and family‑friendly working conditions
• Professional development, mentoring, and training
• The opportunity to join one of the largest universities in Germany, embedded in the University Alliance Ruhr

The position is salaried and based on the collective agreement of the Länder (TV‑L). If the personal and collective agreement requirements are met, the employee will receive pay grade E13 TV‑L.

Further information can be found at

The place of work is Ruhr University Bochum. If the position is funded by third‑party funds the…