Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

at  Bates College

DESCRIPTION

The Department of Religious Studies at Bates College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track, Assistant Professor position in American Religions/Religion in the Americas, to begin August 2025. We seek an outstanding scholar with strong commitments to excellent undergraduate teaching and mentorship in a liberal arts context. The successful candidate will have demonstrable excellence in centering issues of race, power, privilege, and colonialism in their work and in illuminating significant aspects of the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and politics in the study of religion in (the) America(s).
Given the interdisciplinary nature of religious studies, candidates are invited to think expansively and share their thoughts about how their courses will contribute, specifically, to Bates’ Programs in American Studies and/or Africana, as well as potential contributions to other academic units in the social sciences, humanities, and/or interdisciplinary studies. In particular, the successful candidate will provide evidence of an ability to make contributions to the study of African American, African Diasporic, and/or Indigenous religious traditions, perspectives, and experiences, broadly conceived.
The position carries a standard five-course annual teaching load. The duties of the position include the three main areas of faculty work: teaching, professional achievement, and governance and engagement. The standards of excellence for faculty at Bates are articulated in Article II of the faculty handbook, and include a commitment to inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy, significant professional work, and contributions to the broader Bates community. The successful applicant will offer courses in Religious Studies each year that contribute to the general education curriculum, provide academic advising, and mentor student theses. Successful candidates will be expected to develop a signature and independent research program. We also expect the candidate to take part in our system of shared governance.
Bates students come from a diversity of educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are committed to each student’s success. Thus, candidates are encouraged to share evidence of their skills and experience supporting a diverse student body either in a separate, additional document or integrated into the teaching and research statements. We encourage applications from individuals from historically marginalized groups and from those who may have followed non-traditional pathways to higher education due to societal, economic, or academic circumstances.
Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine—a diverse and growing community roughly 45 minutes from the state’s largest city, 2 ½ hours north of Boston, and 4 ½ hours south of Montreal. Faculty scholarship and creative work at Bates are robustly supported by start-up packages, internal grants, and a well-staffed external grants office. Community-engaged learning and study abroad are both broadly encouraged and supported; pedagogical development and innovation is further buttressed by our highly engaged Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning. Educational access and racial justice are central to Bates’ history and mission, and our faculty-led initiatives reflect this commitment.

QUALIFICATIONS

PhD preferred; advanced ABD considered.

Please refer the Job description for details