Cardinal Bernardin Visiting Assistant Professor (Religious Studies)

University of South Carolina, Columbia

Department of Religious Studies

Cardinal Bernardin Visiting Assistant Professor:

Catholic Studies and Contemporary Ethics, Global Dialog, and/or Pursuit of Just Society

 

The faculty of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus, invites applications for a full time, professional-track position at the rank of “Visiting Assistant Professor,” to begin August 16, 2025. The position is a 9-month appointment with a teaching load of 5 courses for the academic year. This is a non-renewable position. The holder of this position will carry the title “Cardinal Bernardin Visiting Assistant Professor.”

The successful candidate will teach courses in Religious Studies at all undergraduate levels, including lower-division courses, such as “Morality, Ethics and Religion,” as well as topical/thematic courses tied to areas of the candidate’s expertise. We are interested in offerings of existing courses such as “Race and Religion,” “Religion, Medicines and Healing,” “Christian Ethics,” or “Religion and Literature.” We are also interested in special topics courses on subjects that the candidate may propose. The candidate must teach either 3 courses in the Fall term and 2 in the Spring term, or 2 courses in the Fall term and 3 in the Spring term. During the term of their appointment, the successful candidate will also be expected to deliver at least one public lecture at USC on an aspect of their research.

The Department of Religious Studies at USC Columbia is dedicated to thoughtful, critical, self-reflective research that contributes to knowledge about religious aspects of human life. Highlighting its faculty expertise, the Department is also dedicated to providing an undergraduate degree program, that enables students to develop skills required for creative, critical inquiry. Outside the classroom, the department is committed to service that supports religious studies scholarship, sustains university institutions, and benefits South Carolina communities through educational outreach. For more information about the Department of Religious Studies, please visit our website at: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/religious_studies/index.php

This position is supported by the Cardinal Bernardin Fund, created in memory of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin (d. 1996), who was raised in the Columbia, SC area and served as a priest in the Charleston Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, later becoming Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta, Archbishop of Cincinnati and finally Archbishop of Chicago. The Cardinal Bernardin Fund supports research, teaching and public engagement associated with aspects of the life, work and legacy of Cardinal Bernardin, specifically contemporary ethics, global dialogue with diverse cultural and spiritual communities, and pursuit of a just society.

 

The candidate must have a doctoral degree in hand by the start date for the position. The degree may be in Religious Studies, History, Anthropology, Theology, Divinity, or another closely related academic field.

 

The successful candidate will be a scholar of Catholic Christian traditions and communities. Their work should also intersect with contemporary ethics, global dialogue with diverse cultural and spiritual communities, and/or the pursuit of a just society. Specific topics and subfields might include, but are not limited to, the Global South; multiple “Catholicisms” within the Church; minority, poor and immigrant communities in the United States; ethics of health, life and well-being; intra-Catholic dialogue and interreligious dialogue, and the pursuit of justice within the Church and in society at large.

 

All applicants must apply online at USCJobs at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Applications must include: (1) a cover letter that describes their research and teaching interests, (2) a curriculum vitae, and (3) a sample of written scholarship of 10,000 words or fewer in length, and (4) the names, email addresses and professional information for three references who are sending letters of recommendation. Applications are not complete until 3 signed letters from references are received.

 

The Search Committee will begin reviewing complete applications on Monday, February 3, 2025, and will continue reviewing applications until the position is filled. Initial interviews will be conducted with potential candidates online; finalists will be invited to USC Columbia Campus for presentations and further interviews. Inquiries about this position may be directed to the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, Prof. Adam M. Schor (schor@sc.edu).