معرفی
Dr. Thomas Jurczyk is a Research Software Engineer at the CRC 1475 "Metaphors of Religion" at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, where he conducts computer-driven analyses of the A01 tafsir corpus and develops web applications. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2020), an MA in History and Religious Studies (2014), and a BA in Computer Science from FernUniversität Hagen (2024). His interdisciplinary background bridges humanities scholarship with computational expertise.
- PhD, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2020): "The Notion of surb in Ancient Armenian Texts from the Fifth Century CE" (summa cum laude)
- MA, History and Religious Studies, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2014): Grade 1.0
- BA, Computer Science, FernUniversität Hagen (2024): Grade 1.6
- BA, History and Religious Studies, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2011): Grade 1.0
Dr. Jurczyk's research sits at the intersection of digital methods and religious studies, with particular focus on computational approaches to ancient religious texts, an/iconism, and the application of data science in humanities research. His work demonstrates how quantitative methods can illuminate patterns in religious discourse, textual traditions, and visual culture that might otherwise remain obscured in traditional qualitative analysis. He has developed expertise in Python programming, text mining, and digital publishing workflows.
His scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory of applying computational methods to religious studies questions, moving from specific case studies of ancient texts to broader methodological reflections on data science in the humanities. Recent publications show increasing sophistication in text mining techniques applied to religious corpora, particularly Qur'anic commentaries.
- Preis an Studierende (Award for best MA dissertation), Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2014)
- International Realisation Budget Grant (7,500 €) from Research School PLUS
Dr. Jurczyk has served as Managing Editor of Entangled Religions and Editor of Philosophy and the Mind Sciences, demonstrating his commitment to scholarly communication. He has taught Python and data science classes at the University of Tübingen and developed automated publishing workflows like the Magic Manuscript Maker. His technical skills span Python, Go, Java, Docker, and web development, making him a valuable bridge between humanities scholarship and computational approaches.
He is actively involved in the Digital Humanities community through membership in the Netzwerk Digital Humanities at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the DHd AG "Digitales Publizieren," and CRETA "Centrum für Reflektierte Textanalyse." His work on the Religion Classification Web interface/API demonstrates practical applications of his research interests.
