The Yale Institute of Sacred Music, an interdisciplinary graduate center for the study and practice of sacred music, worship, and the related arts, invites applications for a postdoctoral associate position in Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture. Alongside conducting their own research, the fellow assigned to the Institute’s interdisciplinary program in Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture would be offering one course each year and assisting in administrative duties related to programming in this new initiative, along with some student advising, participation in ISM academic gatherings, and another service.
The Yale ISM’s initiative on Religion, Ecology and Expressive Culture joins conversations in the environmental humanities by considering how religion and expressive culture are key sites to study the articulation between nature and culture. Drawing from discussions in the field of religion and ecology, this initiative aims to create a space to study how forms of artistic cultural production are central to shaping relationships between humans and the environment. Possible research topics for applicants to this position include activism and climate change; models of ecological and cultural sustainability; the biodiversity crisis; race, ethnicity, and environmental justice; forms of traditional ecological knowledge; indigenous communities and land exploitation; and the effects of environmental pollution and other toxicities. Further opportunities for collaboration at Yale include participation in the Yale Planetary Solutions Project, a multidisciplinary project aiming to raise awareness of climate and biodiversity issues through research, teaching, and public-facing work.
Candidates must hold the Ph.D. or equivalent degree, earned since 2016, in any relevant discipline, and demonstrate expertise in the study of religion and at least one other art form (ritual, music, visual and material culture, literature, etc.). The candidate’s research proposal must coincide with the aims of this initiative, and they should also have strong potential as instructors.
Applicants for this position will be considered as part of the annual ISM Fellows competition, and the reading of applications will begin on January 15, 2022. The application is available at apply.interfolio.com/96451. The anticipated start date for the fellowship is August 2022. In addition to a competitive stipend, fellows receive research funds and relocation costs. More information and the application can be found at https://ism.yale.edu/ism-fellows. For questions, please contact the ISM Fellows Coordinator at [email protected].
