OVERVIEW
Overview
The Social Science and Religion Network at Boston University connects the wide array of students and faculty engaged in the task of understanding the beliefs and practices, organizations and movements that constitute the complex and diverse social and cultural reality of 21st century religion.
In today's world, one can scarcely argue that understanding religion's role in society is irrelevant. Understanding the cultural reality, social context, and political consequences of religion requires the work of scholars across the social sciences - sociology and history, anthropology, American studies, political science, international relations, public health, and religious studies. It also requires research across societies and traditions, looking for the common social forces and the divergent historical paths that animate religious communities around the world. Boston University is home to faculty, students, and research centers that facilitate just such cross-disciplinary and cross-tradition scholarly work. The Social Science and Religion Network brings these diverse interests into productive conversation to enhance the work of the whole.
Linking faculty and students from the departments of Sociology, Anthropology, Religion (Division of Religious and Theological Studies), International Relations, History, Women's Studies, and beyond, the Network enhances existing discipline-based degree programs by facilitating interdisciplinary cooperation for doctoral study. Students in the Network are fulfilling the regular Ph.D. requirements in their home departments, while the Network provides additional intellectual support for their work. Network-related graduate courses are identified each semester and advertised to students. In addition, students are encouraged to draw on faculty from across the Network for area examinations and dissertation committees.
Faculty and students in the Network also convene as a "Working Group" for monthly discussions of research in progress and are informed about events of interest throughout the University and the greater Boston scholarly community. The Social Science and Religion Network at Boston University provides a rich context in which to explore the social presence and significance of religious ideas, institutions, and practices in today's world.
For more information, contact Prof. Nancy Ammerman (nta@bu.edu).
