phd philosophy of religion

Graduate Department of Religion

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Religion

Areas of study.

Degree programs are offered in:

• Critical Studies in Asian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions
• Ethics and Society
• Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel
• Historical Studies  
• Homiletics and Liturgics
• Jewish Studies (M.A.)
• New Testament and Early Christianity 
• Religion, Psychology, and Culture
• Theological Studies

Interdisciplinary studies, both within religion and in other areas of knowledge, are encouraged. The study of religion can be pursued at Vanderbilt both as a critical, humanistic discipline, employing a variety of methodological perspectives, and as a theological discipline, interpreting the biblical religions and their historical, theological, and ethical heritage.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two modern languages: A. a modern language of research (normally French, German, Spanish, or Modern Hebrew); and B. one of the following:

• another modern language relevant to the field of study;
• a biblical or other relevant ancient language;
• the student's native language, if not English;
• a research method such as statistics when appropriate.

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is jointly offered by HDS and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Find detailed information about PhD fields of study and program requirements on the Committee on the Study of Religion website.

With a focus on global religions, religion and culture, and forces that shape religious traditions and thought, the PhD prepares students for advanced research and scholarship in religion and theological studies. 

Resources for the study of religion at Harvard are vast. We offer courses in the whole range of religious traditions from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition to modern Christian liberation movements, Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social movements, and Hindu arts and culture. Some of us work primarily as historians, others as scholars of texts, others as anthropologists, although the boundaries of these methodologies are never firm. Some of us are adherents of a religious tradition; others are not at all religious. The Study of Religion is exciting and challenging precisely because of the conversations that take place across the complexities of disciplines, traditions, and intellectual commitments.

• Master of Divinity (MDiv) Program
• Master of Religion and Public Life (MRPL) Program
• Master of Theological Studies (MTS) Program
• Master of Theology (ThM) Program
• Dual Degrees
• Nondegree Programs
• Ministry Studies
• Professional and Lifelong Learning
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University of South Florida

Department of Philosophy

College of Arts and Sciences

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Graduate programs, ph.d. in philosophy and philosophy and religion.

The Department of Philosophy offers a Ph.D. in Philosophy with two concentrations, a general concentration in philosophy and another in philosophy and religion.  Ph.D. requirements include 82 hours of coursework, at least one language other than English, a comprehensive examination, and a dissertation.

Please see the current USF graduate catalog for up-to-date information on requirements for the Ph.D. 

PhD in Religion

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The Religion Department at Claremont Graduate University contributes to the disciplined study of religion, including—but also transcending—considerations of particular communities of belief and practice.

The PhD in Religion trains graduate students in the theories, methods, and knowledge they need in order to participate in and shape the study of religion in the 21st century as well as to apply those tools to productive careers outside the academy. Students enrolled in this PhD program must choose from one of the following areas of specialization: Critical Comparative Scriptures, History of Christianity & Religions of North America, Philosophy of Religion & Theology, and Women’s & Gender Studies in Religion. In special circumstances, students may work with faculty to create an area of specialization outside these areas.

Program Highlights

• Interdisciplinary concentrations are available, including American Studies, Early Modern Studies, Hemispheric & Transnational Studies, Media Studies, and Museum Studies.
• You can take courses and interact with faculty and students in other CGU departments and at The Claremont Colleges in such areas as Asian religions, African-American religions, New Testament, women’s and gender studies, and U.S. history.
• Thanks to CGU’s proximity to Los Angeles, you will study in one of the most religiously diverse areas in the world.
• You will have access to the libraries of CGU and Claremont University Consortium which offer more than two million volumes – more than 250,000 in the field of religion alone.

Program at a Glance

UNITS 72 units

*Actual completion times will vary and may be higher, depending on full- or part-time course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.

COURSES BEGIN Fall | Spring

DEPARTMENT Religion

DEGREE AWARDED PhD in Religion

Featured Courses

Investigates the politics of theology in the formation and evolution of orthodoxy through episcopal letters, canons of church councils, ordination liturgies, and biographies of famous bishops.

Takes an in-depth survey of the major theories of religion as they are portrayed through some of their influential interpreters in the post-Enlightenment West.

Surveys major themes and issues in early American religious history, from Puritanism and Native American religion to growing religious diversity in the new nation.

Offers close reading of the stories in the Books of Samuel examining the role and function of women.

Introduces the history and legacy of Christianity in Egypt under Islamic dynasties from the attitude of Muslim rulers toward the Copts and Egypt’s monastic heritage to the present day.

Examines the background and beginnings of the Zoroastrian religion and its role in the three great Iranian Empires: Ancient Persian, Parthian, and Sasanian.

Areas of Concentration

The concentration in Critical Comparative Scriptures undertakes in-depth examination of world religious texts to better understand how humans use scripture to shape the politics of religious discourse. You’ll analyze scripture from a range of disciplinary perspectives, from anthropology and psychology to social history and political theory, applying cross-cultural, interdisciplinary analysis to the study of religious texts to better understand their roles and interpretations across human history.

The History of Christianity and Religions of North America concentration lets students examine the long sweep of religions in the West through the prism of Christianity. Our classic historical approach to the study of religion enables students to put many religions in perspective, focusing on Christian origins, Medieval and Reformation Christianity, and religion in North America.

The concentration in Philosophy of Religion & Theology focuses on classical issues in the field as well as recent theories and movements raised by profound philosophical and theological questions. You’ll receive a broad and pluralistic context for your study of religion to understand major issues, movements, and thinkers in philosophy of religion and theology.

The Women’s & Gender Studies in Religion concentration introduces students to women’s issues across religious traditions and a wide variety of feminist scholarship in this richly expanding field. Our program addresses a vital need for more scholars whose training addresses gender and identity and explores how different religious traditions approach sexuality and spirituality.

Faculty & Research

Nicola Denzey Lewis

Professor of Religion Margo L. Goldsmith Chair in Women’s Studies in Religion

Research Interests

Social and Intellectual History of the Roman Empire, Gnosticism, Women’s Studies, Religion in the Roman Empire and Late Roman Empire, Late Antiquity

Ruqayya Y. Khan

Professor of Religion Malas Chair of Islamic Studies

The Qur'an, Arabic literatures, progressive Islamic theologies, women in Islam, Islam and environmental ethics, Islam and the digital age, late antiquity and Islam, origins of Islam, cultures of Umayyad Damascus and Abbasid Baghdad

Daniel Ramírez

Associate Professor of Religion

American religious history; Latin American religious history; Religion, migration, and transnationalism; Religion in borderlands; Contemporary theories of religion

Tammi J. Schneider

Danforth Professor of Religion Chair, Religion Department

Ancient Near Eastern history, literature, archaeology, and religion; Women in the Hebrew Bible

Sallama Shaker

Senior Fellow of Middle East & International Studies

Power Politics, Religion, and Culture in the Middle East; Feminization of Poverty and Global Challenges; Globalization

Extended Faculty

Ahmed alwishah.

Pitzer College

Islamic philosophy, Medieval philosophy, Philosophy of religion, Islamic theology

Myriam Chancy

Scripps College

African diaspora with specialization in its literature

Stephen T. Davis

Claremont McKenna College

Analytic theology, Christian thought, Metaphysics, Philosophy of religion

Politics of knowledge production, Gender and sexuality, Islam, Transnational feminism, The Middle East, especially Lebanon

Erika Dyson

Harvey Mudd College

Activism and religion, American religious history, Church and state, Occult religions, Religion and science

Oona Eisenstadt

Pomona College

Judaism and political theory

Gastón Espinosa

American religion & politics; Latino religions; Latino religions & politics; Pentecostal, charismatic, & liberation movements; Religion and the American presidency; Religion in the United States

Gary Gilbert

Bible, Christian-Jewish relations, Israel, Jesus, Jewish/Christian relations, Judaism, New Testament

Philip Zuckerman

Secularity, Atheism, Apostasy, and Scandinavian culture

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Professor of Philosophy

Ursuline College

Baker University

Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

Bayan Claremont

Assistant Professor of Muslim Studies

American Studies

The American Studies concentration takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of United States culture, society, civilization, and identity through the curricular lenses of history, literature, critical theory, and more.

View Concentration

Early Modern Studies

The Early Modern Studies concentration undertakes interdisciplinary examination of history, culture, politics, and society within the transitional and transformative period that stretched between Medieval and modern societies, marked especially by the advent of print, Christian confessional war, and the rise of the modern state.

Hemispheric & Transnational Studies

A comparative analysis of culture in the Americas, the concentration in Hemispheric & Transnational Studies explores how scholarship on the Atlantic, borderlands, and diaspora have reshaped U.S. American Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Latin American Studies, emphasizing the topics of empire, race, religion, and revolution.

Media Studies

Situated at the bustling intersection of cultural studies, new media, critical theory, and popular culture, the burgeoning field of Media Studies examines the creative and critical practices of media consumers, producers, artists, and scholars, focusing on questions of representation, power, technology, politics, and economy.

Museum Studies

The Museum Studies concentration investigates the history and political role of museums in society, the interpretation and display of a wide variety of cultural productions, and topics of special concern to museums as cultural organizations, using a multidisciplinary, practice-based approach to understand the historical development of this evolving field.

These concentrations are available for students pursuing the following degree programs:

Master’s Degrees

• Applied Gender Studies
• Cultural Studies
• Islamic Studies

Doctoral Degrees

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Gigi Audoma

Director of Recruitment for the School of Arts & Humanities T: 909-607-0441 E: [email protected]