This interdisciplinary program seeks to examine the relation of religion and society in modern or traditional cultures. This program guides students to develop generalized skills in the social sciences and specialized expertise in sociology, anthropology, social ethics or social history. Research programs within this track involve the application of one or more of these disciplines to one or more particular geographic area(s) or historic period(s), as chosen by the student, in close consultation with the Advisor.
Track Specific Admission Prerequisite:
Students entering the Religion and Society track should show transcript evidence of knowledge in their proposed area of specialization. Students must also have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: sociology, anthropology, social ethics or social history. Further background in the humanities or social sciences is strongly encouraged and required where relevant to a student’s proposed program of research.
Please note that this prerequisite is in addition to those outlined in the Admissions section of our website.
Affiliated Faculty
Nancy Ammerman
John Hart
Frank Korom
Christopher Lehrich
Mary Elizabeth Moore
Stephen Prothero
Adam Seligman
Track Specific Course Requirements:
Post-master's PhD students:
Students in the
Religion and Society track are required to take Social Scientific Approaches to Religion
(RN 796).
Track Specific Language & Research Competence Requirements:
Post-master's PhD students:
Students in the Religion and Society track may be permitted, with the approval of their
advisor, to substitute for the second modern foreign language, an exam in a relevant
research methodology (such as statistics, ethnographic fieldwork methods, or other forms
of qualitative or quantitative research skills).
Track Specific Basic Stucture of Qualifying Examinations:
Post-master's PhD students:
Religion and Society: Students will normally take three examinations. The first
will test expertise in Social Science Approaches to the Study of Religion, and will
be divided into two roughly equal sections. The first half of the examination,
based on knowledge of approximately 25-30 core texts, will be administrated to
all students in the unit. The second half of the examination, of also approximately
25-30 core texts, will be more streamlined to specialties such as Anthropology,
Sociology, Social Ethics, or Social History. The second exam will test the
student’s knowledge of a broad area of competence, including the ability to
situate theoretical and methodological knowledge within a broad geographic
and/or historical area. Comparative perspectives will be encouraged where
relevant. The third exam will test the student’s competence in the chosen
specialized area of research, including the ability to articulate the topic’s
relevance to the broader, comparative horizon of the study of religion.
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