Research Associate - The Cult of Saints (Latin)

<div> We are seeking to appoint a postdoctoral researcher from 1 February 2014 or as soon as possible thereafter to work on the project &#8216;The Cult of Saints: a Christendom-wide study of its origins, spread and development&#8217;, directed by Dr Bryan Ward-Perkins and funded by a &#8364;2.3 million ERC Advanced Grant (2014-18). The project will investigate the origins and development of the cult of Christian saints, gathering all evidence available on the cult, from its origins until around AD 700, across all the languages of early Christianity that have left evidence from this period (Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Greek and Latin). The project will employ six postdoctoral researchers to produce a series of monographs and a freely-available searchable database of the evidence for the cult of saints, with English translations of texts and full reference to relevant scholarly work. During the project, two workshops will be held with expert scholars from across Europe, testing the effectiveness of the nascent database, and a major international conference will take place.<br><br>The appointee will have responsibility for collecting and researching the material in Latin, and, in particular, will produce a major new study of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum informed by the Cult of Saints database. S/he will liaise closely with a major project collaborator at Warsaw University. The appointee will be required to represent the project and deliver papers at team workshops, external workshops, conferences, public events, and other meetings. The successful candidate will hold a doctorate in a relevant field, have excellent knowledge of Latin and knowledge of the historical context of late-antique Christianity. Knowledge of relevant languages beyond Latin, experience of working with hagiographical material and experience of working with databases would be desirable.<br><br>Only applications received before 12.00 noon on 19 December 2013 can be considered. Interviews will be held in January 2014. </div>