Lecturer

Title of Position

Lecturer

Post Number

898A

Faculty/Department

University of the Western Cape -> Arts and Humanities -> Religion & Theology

Type of Position

Permanent - Full Time

Length of Contract Period

Location

Main Campus - Bellville, WC ZA (Primary)

Closing Date

30/7/2026

Role Clarification & Key Performance Areas FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES LECTURER Islamic Studies: Department of Religion and Theology The Department of Religion and Theology, housed within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, offers teaching specialisations in four subject areas, namely Theological Studies, Ethics, Religious Studies, and Islamic Studies. Collaborative research activities take place within six research frameworks, namely Religion, Theological Praxis and Development; Islamic Law, Theology and Spirituality; Religion, Gender and Sexualities; Ecumenical Theology, Muslim-Christian Dialogue, and Indigenous Spiritualities in Africa; Biblical and Quranic Hermeneutics and Rhetoric; and Christian and Islamic Eco-theologies. Its work is marked by an ecumenical, interdisciplinary, decolonial, and contextually grounded approach, with particular attention to South African, African, and broader Global South scholarly conversations.

The Department seeks to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced applicant who will strengthen teaching, research, and postgraduate supervision in Islamic Studies, and contribute to the Department’s wider interdisciplinary and contextually grounded intellectual life.

Key performance areas

• Teaching at undergraduate, Honours and Master’s level.
• Supervising Honours and Master’s students and contributing to the development of postgraduate study in Islamic Studies.
• Conducting research and producing peer-reviewed research outputs.
• Participating in departmental and faculty committees.
• Coordinating research seminars and public lectures.
• Conducting academic duties at departmental level, including module/course co-ordination.
• Advancing public and community-engaged scholarship.

Minimum Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Islamic Studies, Islamic Theology, Islamic Law, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Ethics, or a related field, with evidence of registration for a PhD.
• Demonstrable expertise in one or more core areas of Islamic Studies, including Qur’anic studies, Hadith studies, Islamic theology, Islamic law, Islamic philosophy, Islamic ethics, or Islamic spirituality.
• A minimum of one (1) accredited publication.
• Evidence of innovative learning and teaching practice at undergraduate and honours level.
• Competence in Arabic, with the ability to engage primary Islamic texts.
• Active involvement in at least one community engagement activity relevant to the discipline.

Added advantages

• Ability to contribute to interdisciplinary teaching and research within religion and theology, the social sciences, and the broader humanities.
• An emerging research profile in one or more of the following areas: Islamic theology and philosophy, Islamic legal sciences, Sufism, Qur’anic sciences, contemporary Islamic thought, Islamic ethics, Islamic eco-theology, Muslim societies and civilizations, Islamic political thought, or Muslim education.
• Familiarity with both classical Islamic scholarly traditions and contemporary academic approaches to Islamic Studies.
• Evidence of postgraduate supervision or co-supervision.
• Demonstrable commitment to a decolonial approach to Islamic Studies, grounded in South African and broader African contexts, and engaged with Global South epistemologies and scholarly debates.
• Active participation in academic conferences and seminars and related scholarly networks.
• Research engagement in applied and interdisciplinary fields, including Islamic ethics (e.g., science, technology, ecology, and education), Islamic finance, gender studies, decoloniality, development studies etc.

In your application, you are encouraged to highlight your strengths and include anything else you deem exceptional and outstanding to be considered by the selection panel. In addition, please attach a cover letter motivating your suitability, a detailed curriculum vitae including contact details of three referees, and your highest qualification to your online profile.

To be considered for this vacancy, you must click on the Apply for this Job link below or apply directly via UWC Careers at https://uwc.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/viewAll. For any queries, please contact the Human Resources Department at +27 21 959 4063/3642/9362/9708/3160/3756 or email: [email protected].

DISCLAIMER: By applying for the position, you consent to the University sharing your application, including curriculum vitae, with University stakeholders to process the application. In line with the University’s commitment to diversifying its workforce, preference will be given to suitably qualified applicants in line with our Employment Equity Targets. The official retirement age at UWC is 65 years. The University reserves the right to not make an appointment, make an appointment at a different level, seek additional candidates and may conduct competency assessments.