Assistant Professor in New Testament Studies

The PThU is committed to studying the New Testament from the sources, in their original languages, and in relation to the Jewish and Greco-Roman context. We are therefore seeking an Assistant Professor in New Testament Studies (1.0 FTE).

About the role

The Assistant Professor in New Testament Studies will be part of the New Testament and Church History chair group; there is currently one professor and two lecturers working in the field of New Testament Studies. The substantive focus of the Assistant Professor, both in teaching and research, will be on the synoptic gospels and the Jewish context of the New Testament; the Assistant Professor will also be responsible for teaching New Testament Greek. The position is a full-time position, with 0.6 FTE allocated to teaching, 0.3 FTE to research and 0.1 FTE to other tasks.

What will you be doing?

As an assistant professor of New Testament, you will conduct research and teach in the field of the New Testament in all programmes at the PThU in Utrecht. Each year, the assistant professor also teaches a course in the PThU track at the University of Groningen (Biblical Theology). For the time being, the focus will be on teaching in the Bachelor's and Pre-Master's programmes. Approximately half of the teaching will involve giving courses in New Testament Greek (Bachelor's or Pre-Master's, possibly scheduled on Saturdays). The position also offers opportunities for educational development, as a number of courses for the new Bachelor's programme still needs to be developed (e.g. courses on Jesus and Paul; exegesis in the original languages). In the long term, involvement in Master's education and at the postgraduate level (continuing education for ministers) is also desirable.

The New Testament and Church History chair group works closely with the Old Testament and Judaism chair group in the field of education; some courses, such as Introduction to the Bible, Exegesis in the Original Languages, Biblical Theology, and Biblical Hermeneutics, are taught jointly or alternately by lecturers from these chair groups. Part of the teaching at the PThU is interdisciplinary in nature. This means that all colleagues are required to be able to make connections with other theological disciplines and to engage in thematic courses with lecturers from other chair groups.

In terms of research, you will contribute to the development of knowledge on the Synoptic Gospels in their Jewish context in an international and interdisciplinary context. You will be expected to commit to raising additional funding for research.

At PThU level, cooperation between different theological disciplines is pursued, particularly in larger projects. If you see any links between existing PThU research projects and your recent or planned research, please mention this in your application letter (see https://www.pthu.nl/onderzoek/projecten/).

As an assistant professor, you will also contribute to translating your research into ecclesiastical and socially relevant contributions and products and, based on your expertise, contribute to ecclesiastical and social services.

All employees are expected to participate in working groups and committees within the PThU and to make a constructive contribution to the academic community.

What do we require from you?

• You have a PhD in the field of the New Testament or a related research area.
• You have in-depth knowledge of the field of NT, preferably with a specialisation in the synoptic gospels and the embedding of the NT in the Jewish context, which is evident from publications in peer-reviewed journals and collections from renowned publishers, in addition to your dissertation.
• You have a very good knowledge of Biblical languages and experience in teaching New Testament Greek.
• You have good teaching skills, preferably a BKO (Basic Teaching Qualification) and experience in providing academic education in the field of the New Testament.
• You are an excellent communicator with students, colleagues and partners.
• You are sensitive to the plurality and diversity of the academic community at the PThU and have the ability to deal with this.
• You have knowledge of and affinity with the Dutch theological, ecclesiastical and cultural context.
• You have a well-considered vision of New Testament theology(ies) in relation to the Old Testament and Jewish movements in the Second Temple period.
• You are a professing member of and have four years of pastoral experience in a Protestant church, preferably in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. In rare cases, the PCN General Synod grants an exemption from these requirements. · You have excellent oral and written command of the English language.
• You have command of the Dutch language at C1 level or are willing to acquire this level within two years and to use it in teaching.

What do we offer?

The Protestant Theological University offers good terms of employment with an emphasis on flexibility and (personal) development. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities applies. You will initially receive a temporary appointment as an assistant professor. If you prove to be suitable, the PThU will convert this contract into a permanent contract.

Depending on relevant experience at the start of employment, the salary is € 4,728 - € 7,297 gross per month based on full-time employment (scale 11-12 CAO Dutch Universities/Protestant Theological University). The holiday allowance is 8% and the end-of-year bonus is 8.3%. The employer's contribution to the ABP pension scheme is 70%. We attach great importance to training and development. There is a reimbursement for commuting expenses and the possibility of a tax-free exchange of employment conditions, including a bicycle plan. There is a relocation allowance scheme and international employees can, under certain conditions, make use of the tax benefits of the expat scheme.

About the PThU

The Protestant Theological University (PThU) is a theological university that focuses on understanding and renewing the Christian tradition with a view to the church, academia and society. We offer (post)graduate education for theological professionals, social and church organisations and other interested parties. We train ministers for the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and conduct research into developments in faith, the church and global Christianity. Together with our staff, students and alumni, we form a close-knit academic community.

More information

For more information about our organisation, please visit www.pthu.nl. The PThU has set out its mission, vision and policy intentions in an Institutional Plan for the period 2021-2026, which can be found at https://www.pthu.nl/over-pthu/organisatie/missie-en-visie/.

For questions about the position, please contact Prof. Annette Merz, Professor of New Testament Studies, at abmerz@pthu.nl or by telephone: +31 (0) 634916368. For questions about the procedure or terms of employment, please contact Hans Sprong, HR business partner, at sollicitatie@pthu.nl or by telephone: +31 (0) 6 36 454 130.

Interested in applying?

Written applications can be emailed to sollicitatie@pthu.nl or uploaded via the Apply button until 3 March 2026. Please address your letter of motivation to Prof. M.T. Frederiks, chair of the Appointments Advisory Committee. Please include the following with your letter:

• your curriculum vitae
• a list of publications
• an overview and evaluations of the courses you have taught
• a vision document of approximately two pages, in which you outline your research plans for the next three years in an appealing manner, in line with the mission of the PThU, also with a view to acquiring external funding

We request that you submit a maximum of two documents in PDF format. You may combine your CV and attachments into a single document.

Procedure

The first round of interviews will take place on 25 March 2026. A second round will take place on 7 April 2026. Giving a mini-lecture is part of the second round. The procedure includes requesting approval for the appointment from the Synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. An assessment may be part of the application procedure.