Virgil in Hilary of Poitiers: Implicit reception of classical literature, Christian exegesis, a[...]

Organisation / Company Université de Strasbourg Laboratory UR 4377 - Théologie catholique et de Sciences religieuses (TCSR) Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Keywords

ancient Christian literature; classical and Christian intertextuality; poetry, exegesis and theology

The candidate will be welcomed into the UR 4377 TCSR research unit, which is unique in France, being a state-run research unit on theology and religious studies. The diversity of epistemological approaches within this unit is representative of the multidisciplinary nature that must necessarily characterise university theology. Thanks to its international contacts and its strong involvement in internal (e.g. ITI HiSAAR and ANR ReligiS) and external projects, it is a dynamic part of the University of Strasbourg.

The ITI (Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute) HiSAAR (History, Sociology, Archaeology and Anthropology of Religions), hisaar.unistra.fr, located at the University of Strasbourg, aims to study religious facts from an interdisciplinary perspective using a transdisciplinary approach. This ITI combines in-depth knowledge of the historical and cultural development of the major religions from antiquity to the present day through the direct reading of primary textual sources, which requires specific linguistic and philological knowledge relating to the founding texts of religions as well as the doctrinal and commentarial production crystallised in the various traditions, coupled with fundamental contributions from archaeology, sociology, ethnology and anthropology.

The candidate will integrate the research conducted at TCSR in the context of ERCAM, Équipe de Rercherches sur le Christianisme antique et medieval, particularly focused on the study of ancient and medieval Christian poetry in Latin and Greek.

The project Virgil in Hilary of Poitiers: Implicit reception of classical literature, Christian exegesis, and digital intertextuality analysis in the fourth century offers the first systematic and comprehensive investigation of the role of Virgil in the works of Hilary of Poitiers and analyses the literary, exegetical, and theological consequences of this reception for Latin Christianity in the fourth century. While the engagement of Christian prose authors with Virgil has hitherto been studied primarily through explicit quotations in prominent figures such as Augustine or Jerome, a comprehensive analysis is lacking for authors whose reception of Virgil operates implicitly, structurally, and non-declaratively. The project is in line with the activities currently being carried out within the framework of the Gutenberg Chair 2025 awarded to Mr Stefan Freund, University of Wuppertal, for the implementation of the project Virgil and Christians in Antiquity: Main Structures of Reception

Opportunities

The University of Strasbourg belongs to the prestigious League of European Research Universities (LERU), an alliance of 24 top European research institutions. Furthermore, its geographical proximity to universities in neighbouring countries like Germany (Heidelberg and Freiburg) and Switzerland fosters collaborative relationships. Above all, the candidate will have the opportunity to work within the framework of the international GIS (Scientific Interest Group) (comprising 34 European and American units) GIRPAM, International Research Group on Late Antiquity and Medieval Poetry, girpam.u-strasbg.fr, which is also one of ITI HiSAAR's research initiatives. This research will be conducted under the supervision and tutelage of Michele Cutino, full professor of Ancient Christian History at the University of Strasbourg, as well as coordinator of both UR 4377 TCSR and GIS-GIRPAM.

Who can apply?

Researchers of any nationality who:

• Have completed a PhD or will complete it at the date of the call deadline (September 2026).
• Have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research at the time of the call deadline.
• Have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline.

Beware that applicants who have applied to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025 call and received an evaluation below 80% are not eligible for an application in 2026.

How to apply?

We encourage all motivated and eligible postdoctoral researchers to send their expressions of interest to the supervisor’s e-mail address before 24th April 2026.

Your application shall include:

• a CV (5 pages max),
• a cover letter outlining your research background and its synergies with the supervisor’s field and/or the proposed research topic.

Estimated timetable

• Deadline for sending an expression of interest: 24th April 2026
• Selection of the applicant: May 2026 at the latest