This program guides students to develop skills in historical, cultural, and textual analysis, combined with relevant linguistic proficiency, to illumine texts, traditions, artifacts, phenomena, or events of particular significance for the understanding of religion. Students in this program will typically develop mastery in the history, literature and language(s) of a specific religious tradition, or a particularly significant body of religious writing. Current areas of strength within this track include: Ancient Christianity and Christian Origins, Greco-Roman Religions, Hebrew Bible, History of Christianity, Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, Religions of China, Religions of India, and Religions of Japan.
Track Specific Admission Prerequisite:
Students entering the Texts and Traditions track should show transcript evidence of a strong background in their chosen area of specialization, including advanced knowledge of the languages relevant to such study. Further background in the humanities, literary studies, fine arts, or social sciences is strongly encouraged.
Please note that this prerequisite is in addition to those outlined in the Admissions section of our website.
Affiliated Faculty
Kecia Ali
Alejandro Botta
Christopher Brown
Gina Cogan
Kathe Darr
David Eckel
Paula Fredricksen
Steven Katz
Jonathan Klawans
Deanna Klepper
Jennifer Knust
Tom Michael
Dana Robert
Jon Roberts
Karen Westerfield-Tucker
James Walters
Track Specific Course Requirements:
Students in the Texts and Traditions track are required to take Humanities Approaches to
Religion (RN 795). Students may be required to take further coursework in cognate
disciplinary methods or approaches (e.g., History or Classical Studies).
Track Specific Language & Research Competence Requirements:
Beyond two modern foreign languages, students in the Texts and Traditions track who are working with primary written sources in foreign
language(s) will need to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of grammar, syntax, and
vocabulary in these language(s), at a level of expertise appropriate to the particular area
of specialization. Normally, this expertise will be evaluated directly by Division faculty,
during the stage of Qualifying Examinations.
Track Specific Basic Stucture of Qualifying Examinations:
Post-master's PhD students:
Students will normally take four comprehensive
examinations. The first examination consists of a written research paper in the
student’s area of specialization that explicitly integrates into the analysis a careful
selection of relevant theories or approaches to religious and theological studies.
This paper should include, but need not be restricted to, approaches covered in the
divisional course, Humanities Approaches to Religion (RN 795). This paper may,
in the first instance, be produced within the context of required coursework. Once
evaluated by the student’s advisor, a final version of the paper will be submitted
to the Director or Track Coordinator to verify successful completion of this
requirement. For most students, the second examination will test the student’s
competence in the primary source language(s) most relevant for the chosen area
of study, at the level of expertise appropriate for quality academic work in that
field. In the case of students doing research on English language sources, the
second exam should focus on a relevant method or approach (e.g., textual
criticism or literary theory). The third exam will define the student’s
specialization in a broad sense. For most students this will be a broad-based exam
in a single religious tradition or, in some cases, a particularly significant body of
religious literature. The fourth comprehensive examination will seek to establish
that the student has a deep expertise in a particular area of focus, usually limited
within a particular religious tradition by space and time, but working out from that
focus, as needed, to other contemporary or otherwise related religious traditions
and phenomena.
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