phd religious studies upenn

• School of Arts & Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division
• College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Applying to the Graduate Program in Religious Studies

The Graduate Group in Religious Studies is accepting applications for the PhD program. ( Applications open on October 2 and are due on December 15 ). Presently, no MA program is available. Please note that Penn does not offer ministerial degrees or training.

The Graduate Group admits 2–3 students per year. Students who are admitted to the program receive a 5-year funding package that includes tuition and a cost of living stipend. All PhD students are required to serve as teaching assistants for 2 years as part of this package; most perform their TA work in their 2nd and 3rd years.

Applications are welcome from students from various academic backgrounds , though some exposure to the academic field of Religious Studies in an academic setting is usually required .

A BA/BS degree or equivalent is the minimum requirement. Many applicants have already done extensive work in Religious Studies, either as undergraduates, or in post-baccalaureate or Master’s programs elsewhere, while other applicants often will have majored in classics, philosophy, history, a modern language and literature, or area studies. In addition, incoming doctoral students should typically have prior training in one or more of the research languages r equired for their fields (see fields of study for details). Students who enter the program with graduate-level credits at other comparable institutions may petition to receive transfer credit for up to a maximum of eight courses.

In general, a comprehensive application package should show a combination of: 

• demonstrated research aptitude;
• creativity and scholarly promise;
• cogent scholarly writing;
• ability to consistently meet designated deadlines and objectives; and
• intellectual alignment with faculty and resources at the University of Pennsylvania. 

All applications must be submitted online through the School of Arts and Science's online application portal . For additional information, please see the Grad Division’s policies and procedures . We will begin reviewing applications on December 15.  All aspects of the application, including letters of recommendation, should be submitted by this time. 

Applicants must submit the following documents via the online application portal:

• An academic curriculum vitae summarizing your academic background.

Please describe how your background and academic experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and led you to apply to Penn. Your essay should detail your specific research interests and intellectual goals within your chosen field. Please provide information about your educational trajectory, intellectual curiosity and academic ambitions. If you have overcome adversity and/or experienced limited access to resources or opportunities in your field of study, please feel free to share how that has affected the course of your education. We are interested in your lived experiences and how your particular perspective might contribute to the inclusive and dynamic learning community that Penn values and strives to create.

In responding to this prompt, applicants to the Religious Studies Graduate Group should explain how their proposed dissertation project fits with existing intellectual questions and scholarly conversations in the field of religious studies. We are looking for engagement with relevant academic literature, original and innovative research questions, and a feasible dissertation project that can conceivably be completed within the typical five-year time frame. A good personal statement will name the specific faculty members with whom applicants hope to work and any on-campus resources they hope to use if admitted to Penn (examples might include research centers, libraries, museums, or special collections). Please note that our program is not a theology program; applications that foreground missiological or theological agendas will not be competitive.    

• A  writing sample  of academic prose (such as a term paper or standalone excerpt of a larger text, such as an MA thesis) of 15–30 double-spaced pages.  
• Academic transcript(s ) from all previous academic work undertaken. (Screenshots or PDFs of unofficial transcripts may be submitted at the application stage. Official transcripts will be requested if you are offered and accept admission to the program.)
• Applicants will also be prompted to provide contact details for 3-5 letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to their academic background and aptitude. Typically, these will be letters from professors with whom applicants have studied, but in rare cases they may be from employers or other mentors.

In addition to the items on the list above,  applicants must indicate which of our graduate research areas they intend to pursue. Applicants should indicate at least one, and no more than three, research areas. Please select your primary research area first.

A GRE result is NOT currently required for an application to the program, but a pplicants who are not US citizens or do not have English as the first language must submit language test scores . TOEFL & IELTS scores are accepted. These tests must have been taken within two years of the application due date. There are no minimum requirements but:

• TOEFL : Competitive applicants tend to have a composite score of 100 or above with demonstrated consistency across the four sections of the exam (reading, listening, speaking, and writing).
• IELTS : Competitive applicants tend to have an overall band score of 7 or above with demonstrated consistency across the four sections of the exam (listening, reading, writing, and speaking).
• Students self-report their scores on the application and we will electronically match them through Collegenet. The institution code for electronically submitting these scores to Penn GAS is 2926 .
• If you have completed a post-secondary degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is English, we can typically waive the TOEFL/ IELTS requirement. Please contact Kate Stoler ( [email protected] ) after your application has been compiled, including submission of your academic transcripts, to request this waiver.

Applicants requesting a fee waiver can send their inquiries, with proof of financial need, to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, [email protected] . If you are a McNair Scholar, please mention that in your email. Please note that fee waivers are rare.

In advance of submitting their applications, applicants are encouraged to contact the specific faculty member(s) in their potential research area(s) via email to indicate their intention to apply. After the 12/15 application deadline has passed, however, all inquiries about the selection process must be directed solely to the Graduate Coordinator or the Graduate Chair. 

Please note that individual faculty members may not be admitting students in any given year; the Religious Studies Graduate Group typically only admits 2–3 students per year.

Electronic applications are accepted from  October 1st . The deadline for filing an application is midnight (ET) on  December 15th . Applications and writing samples cannot be accepted after that date. The application fee is $90.00. 

Normally, decision letters (acceptances or declines) will be sent out by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by  March 1 . Waitlisted students will be notified via email.

For more information on the graduate program in Religious Studies, please review the Graduate Degree Requirements or email  Katelyn Stoler .

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division
• College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Cheikh Babou

Professor of History

[email protected] 215 898.2188

Jared Farmer

Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History

[email protected] 215-746-7473

Marcy Norton

Associate Professor of History

[email protected] 215-746-6215

Ramya Sreenivasan

Associate Professor Chair of Undergraduate Studies

[email protected]

Joshua Teplitsky

Associate Professor of History Joseph Meyerhoff Associate Professor of Modern Jewish History, Director of the Jewish Studies Program at Penn

[email protected]

Beth S. Wenger

Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor of History Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, School of Arts and Sciences

[email protected] 215 898.5702

Secil Yilmaz

Assistant Professor of History

[email protected]

Shira Brisman

Assistant Professor, History of Art

[email protected]

Julie and Martin Franklin Assistant Professor, Religious Studies

Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Emerita

[email protected]

Laura Newman Eckstein

Ph.D. Candidate

[email protected]

Dahlia El Zein

[email protected]

Lila Rice Goldenberg

Ph.D. Candidate Brizdle-Schoenberg Fellow for the History of Material Texts

[email protected]

Mohamud Awil Mohamed

Ph.D. Student Fontaine Fellow, Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts Researcher

[email protected]

KC O'Hara

[email protected]

Dan Premawardena

Ph.D. Student

[email protected]

Kyle Repella

[email protected]

Makiki A. Reuvers

PhD Candidate Mellon "Just Futures" Graduate Fellow, 2022-2023

[email protected]

Eleanor Webb

Ph.D. Candidate Odlozilik Graduate Fellow , Graduate Fellow in Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies

[email protected]

Alexandra Zborovsky

Ph.D Candidate Stephen F. Cohen-Robert C. Tucker Dissertation Research Fellow in Russian Historical Studies, Visegrad Fellow at the Open Society Archives

[email protected]

Drew Starling

Senior Fellow in History and Dean's Fellow for Teaching Excellence

[email protected]

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University of Pennsylvania PhD in Religious Studies

The main focus area for this major is Religion/Religious Studies . For more details on this concentration, visit its profile page.

Religious Studies is a major offered under the philosophy and religious studies program of study at University of Pennsylvania. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the doctor’s degree program in religion, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, and more.

If there’s something special you’re looking for, you can use one of the links below to find it:

• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity
• Related Majors
• Focus Areas

How Much Does a Doctorate in Religion from UPenn Cost?

Upenn graduate tuition and fees.

Part-time graduates at UPenn paid an average of $1,855 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for graduate students are shown in the table below.

Does UPenn Offer an Online PhD in Religion?

UPenn does not offer an online option for its religion doctor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the UPenn Online Learning page.

UPenn Doctorate Student Diversity for Religion

Male-to-female ratio.

None of the students who received their PhD in religion in 2019-2020 were women.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Of those students who received a doctor’s degree at UPenn in religion at 2019-2020, none were racial-ethnic minorities*.

PhD in Religion Focus Areas at UPenn

Religious Studies students may decide to major in one of the following focus areas.

Majors Related to a PhD in Religion From UPenn

You may also be interested in one of these majors related to religious studies.

View All Religious Studies Related Majors >

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Compare your school options.

• School of Arts & Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division
• College of Liberal and Professional Studies

M.A. and Ph.D. Programs

 All graduate study at Penn is organized through disciplinary graduate groups: e.g. History (primarily for Early Modern, Modern, and American Jewish History); Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (for Hebrew Bible and its Interpretation; Rabbinic, Medieval, and Modern Hebrew literature); Religious Studies (for Hellenistic Judaism, and Medieval and Modern Jewish Thought); Anthropology (Biblical Archaeology); Ancient History; Germanic Languages and Literatures (for Yiddish); Sociology; Folklore and Folklife; English; Comparative Literature; and Political Science.

For admission to graduate programs, students should apply directly to the graduate group representing their major disciplinary interest. Jewish Studies itself does not admit graduate students, but faculty in the program will be happy to advise applicants as to which graduate group best suits their needs. For further information, please contact the Jewish Studies Program office.

For the Graduate Division of the School of Arts & Sciences, click here .

Doctoral programs generally consist of a minimum of 20 courses (some programs require more), followed by a period of study for comprehensive examinations and the writing of a dissertation. For furthur details about requirements, please contact the relevant graduate group for the specific features of its programs.

program for

Religion & Social Policy Research

The Program for Religion and Social Policy Research (PRSPR) is a research, education, and policy program dedicated to understanding the nexus between organized religion and the provision of social services. Acknowledging the vast literature on the failing of organized religion to support many marginalized groups and its role in local and international conflicts, PRSPR focuses on the positive side of organized religion. We are a group of scholars interested in the ways organized religion supports quality of life, assist people in need, assist in times of crisis, and promotes the well-being of minorities.

PRSPR aims to:

• Contribute to new knowledge on the scope, nature, and practice methods of religious-based social services;
• Develop methods for studying congregations and religious-based organizations;
• Equip future social service practitioners and researchers in the integration of social work and religion;
• Enhance and support the education of students interested in religion and well-being; and
• Research and produce cutting-edge knowledge regarding the role of religion in modern-day society.

Dr. Ram A. Cnaan secures funding to take the first-ever census of religious congregations in Philadelphia. The census is the most comprehensive study ever to take inventory of social service programs available through local congregations.

The Program for the study of Organized Religion and Social Work was developed by Dr. Cnaan at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work (now SP2; School of Social Policy & Practice). Research on the topic of religion and social work was scarce and Dr. Cnaan recognized a great need for quality research, especially in light of the social and political climate.ext here

The book, “The Newer Deal” written by Dr. Ram Cnaan, with Dr. Robert Wineburg, and Stephanie Boddie is published by Columbia University Press on the topic of the partnership of social work and religion.

A new class on religion and social work is developed and taught at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work. “Practicing and Managing Social Work in Religious Contexts” brings to light the neglected, yet important issue of the role of religion in social work practice, and helps bridge the gap.

The program hosts a conference for congregational leaders in Philadelphia. “Empowering to Build Healthy Congregations- Growth and Vision Conference” helped equip congregations to secure funding so they could continue doing what they are good at- meeting the needs of the community.

The book, “The Invisible Caring Hand,” written by Dr. Ram Cnaan, with Stephanie Boddie, Femida Handy, Robert Schneider, and Gaynor Yancey is published by New York University Press. This book sheds light on the welfare role congregations provide in six large cities and one small town.

The Program wins a grant from the Compassion Capital Fund to evaluate the impact of a faith-based program for at-risk youth. This faith and community based demonstration project will be carried out by the North Philadelphia Cluster of United Methodist Churches, which consists of eight churches.

Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work changes its name to Program for Religion and Social Policy Research (PRSPR)

The book “ The other Philadelphia story: How local congregations support quality of life in urban America  was published by University of Pennsylvania Press.

Dr. Ram Cnaan in collaboration with Dr. Robert J. Wineburg of University of North Carolina (Greensboro) conducted a census of Wilmington, DE congregations and nonprofit organizations. The study aimed to replicate the Philadelphia study and assess the interaction of congregations and other local NPOs. Charlene McGrew wrote her dissertation based on this study.

Dr. Ram Cnaan along with Drs. Van Evans and Daniel Curtis conducted the largest and first study of giving and volunteering among Latter Day Saints (LDS) members. These ambitious studies confirmed the extra-ordinary commitment of LDS members both in terms of giving to their own Church and to society at large. Currently the study is extended to include three South American countries (data collection in Colombia is completed). In addition, we were granted permission to study the unique phenomenon of Senior missionaries. Data were collected and one paper is currently under review. At the same period, PRSPR started a series of studies aiming to assess the valuation (fiscal estimates) of local religious congregations to their regional economies. The valuation studies originated with conceptual papers and culminated with two empirical studies taken together with Partners for Sacred Places. The first study was a preliminary one of 11 Philadelphia congregations and the latter one a three-city study of 90 congregations in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Fort Worth.

Ram Cnaan , MSW, PhD Founding and Former Faculty Director, PREP

Program Director, Program for Religion and Social Policy Research Faculty Director, Goldring Reentry Initiative

cnaan@sp2.upenn.edu

Current Fellows

Dan Heist , MA PhD in Social Welfare Student, School of Social Policy & Practice

Dan Heist  is a third-year PhD student in Social Welfare at SP2. His research interests are private philanthropy, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership, with an emphasis on faith-based organizations. Dan worked for 8 years as a professional fundraiser for Latter Day Saints Philanthropies. He has a Masters in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts from Penn State.

heist@sp2.upenn.edu

Marquisha Lawrence Scott, MSW, MDiv PhD In Social Welfare Student, School of Social Policy & Practice Fontaine Fellow

Marquisha Lawrence Scott  is a second year PhD student in Social Welfare at SP2. Scott has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. Before coming to the University of Pennsylvania, she worked as both a researcher and community organizer. Her research interests are community-based research and nonprofit organization’s impact on social outcomes with an emphasis on faith-based institutions.

mlscott@sp2.upenn.edu

Elspeth Sarro Master of Social Work Student, School of Social Policy & Practice

Elspeth Sarro  is a second year MSW/ML dual degree candidate at both SP2 and Penn Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Ursinus College and a Diplôme d’université d’études françaises from Université de Strasbourg. Her previous research has dealt with pluralism, interfaith dialogue, and expression of religious identity. She has worked in the Mayor’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives, the Penn Women’s Center, and The Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Trafficking Program. In the summer of 2017, Elspeth will serve as a Philadelphia City Council Fellow in the office of Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown.

elsarro@sp2.upenn.edu

Past Fellows

Stephanie C. Boddie, MSW, PhD

Beverly Frazier, MBA, MDiv, PhD

Nicole Ives, MSW, PhD

Jennifer Kang, MPP

Charlene Chen McGrew, MSW, ThM, PhD

Faye Patterson, BA

Jill Witmer Sinha, MDiv, PhD

Vaughn Taylor, MS

Publications

Boddie, S. C., & Cnaan, R. A. (2007).  Faith-based social services: Measures, assessments, and effectiveness . Bloomington, NY: Haworth Press.

Cnaan, R. A., with Boddie, S. C., McGrew, C. C., & Kang, J. (2006).  The other Philadelphia story: How local congregations support quality of life in urban America.  Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Cnaan, R. A., Boddie, S. C., Handy, F., Yancey, G., & Schneider, R. (2002).  The invisible caring hand: American congregations and the provision of welfare.  New York: New York University Press.

Cnaan, R. A., Wineburg, R. J., & Boddie, S. C. (1999).  The newer deal: Social work and religion in partnership.  New York: Columbia University Press.

Heist, D. H., & Cnaan, R. A. (2016). Faith-based international development work: A review.  Religions, 7 (3), 1-17; doi:10.3390/rel7030019.

Luria, G., Cnaan, R. A., & Boehm, A. (In press). Religious attendance and volunteering: Testing national culture as a boundary condition.  Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Scott, M. L., Cnaan, R. A., & Heist, H. D. (In press). The clergy as a director of a local voluntary association.   Society and Welfare  (Hebrew: Hevra VeRevacha).

Scott, M.L. & Cnaan, R. (In preparation).  Valued members in congregations.

Scott, M. L. & Cnaan, R. (In Press).   The faith community and poverty alleviation in the age of new public management.   Nonprofit Policy Forum .

Curtis, D., Evans, V., & Cnaan, R. A. (2015). Charitable practices of Latter-day Saints.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 44 (1), 146-162. http://nvs.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/10/29/0899764013507141.full.pdf+html

Curtis, D., Evans, V., & Cnaan, R. A. (2014). Motivating Mormons: An analysis of what motivates members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to volunteer and donate.  Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 25 (2), 131-145.

Evans, V., Curtis, D., & Cnaan, R. A. (2013). Volunteering among Latter-day Saints.  Journal for the scientific Study of Religion, 52( 4), 827-841.

Cnaan, R. A., Forrest, T., Carlsmith, J., & Karsh, K. (2013). If you don’t count it, it doesn’t count: A pilot study of valuing urban congregations.   Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion. 10 (1), 3-36. DOI:10.1080/14766086.2012.758046.

Cnaan, R. A., & Curtis, D. W. (2013). Religious congregations as voluntary associations: An overview.  Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 42 (1), 7-33.

Curtis, D., & Cnaan, R. A. (2012). International volunteering by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  International Journal of Religion and Society, 2 (4), 1-12.

Cnaan, R. A.,  Pessi, A. B., Zrinščak, S., Brudney, J. L., Haski-Leventhal, D., Handy, F., Holmes, K., Hustinx, L., Kang, C., Meijs, L. C. P. M., Ranade, B., & Yamauchi, N. (2012). Student Values, Religiosity, and Pro-Social Behaviour: A Cross-National Perspective.  Diaconia,   3 (1), 2-25.

Curtis, D. W., & Cnaan, R. A. (2011). International Volunteering by Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.  International Journal of Religion and Society, 2 (4), 303-314.

Cnaan, R. A., & Newman, E. (2010). The safety net and faith-based services.  Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought ,  29 (40), 321-336.

Ives, N. G., Sinha, J. W., & Cnaan, R. A. (2010). Who is welcoming the stranger?  The Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 29( 1), 71-89.

Cnaan, R. A. (2009). Valuing the contribution of urban religious congregations.  Public Management Review, 11( 5), 641-662.

Cnaan, R. A., & Dichter, M. (2008). Thoughts on the use of knowledge in social work practice.  Research in Social Work Practice, 18 (4), 278-284.

Wineburg, R. J., Coleman, B. L., Boddie, S. C., & Cnaan, R. A. (2008). Leveling the playing field: Epitomizing devolution through faith-based organizations.  Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, XXXV (1), 17-42.

Sinha, J. W., Hillier, A., Cnaan, R. A., & McGrew, C. C. (2007). Proximity matters: Understanding resident and commuter congregations through an ecological framework.  Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 46 (2), 245-260.

Boddie, S. C., & Cnaan, R. A. (2006). Setting the context: Assessing the effectiveness of faith-based social services.  Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 25 (3-4), 5-18.

Cnaan, R. A. (2006). Faith in the closet: Reflections of a secular academic.  Arete, 30 (1), 19-29.

McGrew, C. C., & Cnaan, R. A. (2006). Historical and methodological lack of studying religion in social services.  Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 25 (3-4), 19-37.

Sinha, J. W., Cnaan, R. A., & Gelles, R. J. (2006). Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study.  Journal of Adolescence, 30 (2), 231-249.

Boddie, S. C., & Cnaan, R. A. (2005). The role of faith-based social service providers in expanding privatization in the United States.  Social Security, No. 70 , 110-137. (In Hebrew).

Cnaan, R. A., Boddie, S. C., & Kang, J. J. (2005). Religious congregations as social services providers for older adults.  Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45  (1/2).

Cnaan, R. A., Gelles, R. J. & Sinha, J. W. (2004).  Youth and religion: The Gameboy generation goes to the “church”.  Social Indicators Research, 68 (2), 175-200.

Cnaan, R. A. & Helzer, A. L. (2004).  Women in congregations and community serving: Findings from the Philadelphia census.  Social Thought.

Cnaan, R. A., Sinha, J. W. & McGrew, C. C. (2004). Congregations as social service providers: Services, capacity, culture, and organizational behavior. Administration in Social Work, 28 (3/4), 47-67. In H. Schmid (Ed.). (2004)  Organizational and institutional dilemmas of nonprofit human services . Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

Cnaan, R. A., Hernandez, E. I. & McGrew, C. C. (2003).  Latino Congregations in Philadelphia: Understanding the Organized Religion of Immigrants.  South Bend, Indiana: Notre Dame.

Cnaan, R.A., & Boddie, S.C. (2002).  Charitable Choice and faith-based welfare: A call for social work.  Social Work, 47, 224-235.

Cnaan, R. A. & Boddie, S. C. (2001).  Black church outreach: Comparing how black and other congregations serve their needy neighbors , CRUCCS Report 2001-1. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.

Cnaan, R. A. & Boddie, S. C. (2001).  Philadelphia census of congregations and their        involvement in social service delivery.  Social Service Review, (75)4, 559-580.

Cnaan, R. A., & Handy, F. (2000).  Comparing neighbors: Social service provision by religious congregations in Ontario and the U.S.A . The American Review of Canadian Studies, 30, 521-543.

Sinha, J. W. (2000).  Cookman United Methodist Church and the Transitional Journey Program: A case study in Charitable Choice . Washington D.C.: Center for Public Justice.

Cnaan, R. A. (1999).  Empowerment through organized religion . In Wes Shera and Lillian Wells (Eds.). Empowerment practice in social work: Developing richer conceptual foundations (pp. 320-346). Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.

Cnaan, R. A. (1997).  Social and community involvement of religious congregations housed in historic religious properties: Findings from a six-city study.  Philadelphia: Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work, University of Pennsylvania.

Cnaan, R. A. (1997). The future of social work: Religious congregations, denominations, and social service provision. In E. Gambrill and M. Reisch (Eds.),  Social work in the 21st century  (pp.271-284). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Grove.

Cnaan, R. A., & Milofsky, C. (1997).  Small religious nonprofits : A neglected topic.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 25, S3-S13.

Jeavons, T., & Cnaan, R. A. (1997).  The formation, transformation, and evolution of small religious organizations.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 25, S62-S84.

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SP2’s R. Jisung Park publishes “Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World” 

In “Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World,” Dr. R. Jisung Park, an assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), encourages us to view climate change through a different lens: one that focuses less on the possibility of mass climate extinction in a theoretical future, and more on the everyday implications of climate change here and now.

SP2 ranked #8 among Schools for Social Work by U.S News & World Report

SP2 has been named #8 among Schools for Social Work in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. This marks SP2’s highest ranking ever, and the second time that the School has appeared in the list’s top 10.

Student Life

SP2 announces Douglas M. Brooks, MSW, as 2024 Commencement speaker

SP2 announced today that Douglas M. Brooks, MSW, a nationally recognized leader in HIV and health care policy and advocacy, as well as a senior leadership fellow at SP2, will deliver the School’s 2024 Commencement speech on May 18.

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Graduate Studies

PhD specializations directly related to the Islamic world are offered through several Graduate Groups at the University of Pennsylvania, such as

• History of Art
• Political Science
• South Asia Studies

Both the Departments of Religious Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations offer doctoral tracks in Islamic Studies. An important and attractive characteristic of doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences at Penn is that they are truly interdisciplinary and shaped around the interests and goals of individual students. It is extremely common for graduate students to take classes across several departments.

View information on recent PhDs

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• PhD Program
• Department of Africana Studies
• Graduate Program

The past twenty years have witnessed two dominant but opposing approaches to the study of the interconnections between Africa and the African Diaspora. Both seek to provide alternatives to traditional models of Africana Studies. The Afrocentric model has tended to focus on historical Africa, particularly the great civilizations of the African past. It has given little attention to the Diaspora, except to those aspects of black culture that reflect a continuum or retention of elements of certain African (specifically West African) cultures. The second model may best be described as a Black Atlantic approach; it has given little attention to the African continent, but has focused on persons of African descent throughout the Western world. This approach is especially concerned with identity formation, hybridity, syncretism, and creolization. Our pedagogical focus neither romanticizes nor ignores historical and contemporary Africa. It seeks to break current conceptualizations of the African Diaspora that only consider West Africa, Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and Brazil. While these areas will continue to be important, we hope to expand an understanding of Diaspora that includes all of Spanish speaking Latin America, East Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific as well.

This program insists that African peoples, as they have moved into different geopolitical circumstances, have developed and maintained a plurality of political strategies which cut across (but are also influenced by) a variety of religious, national, and cultural boundaries. By working to complicate and particularize what we know as "African identity," we hope to re-imagine the ways that African and African descendant peoples have worked to establish and maintain a coherent set of cultural and symbolic practices.

Our approach is in conversation with disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, but differs from them in the conceptualization of an interdisciplinary methodology. In other words, while we encourage in-depth knowledge of and training in traditional disciplines, one of the major intellectual goals of the program is the development of an interdisciplinary method and vocabulary for the study of the interconnections between Africa and peoples of African descent around the globe.

• School of Arts & Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
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• Religious Studies

Justin McDaniel

Edmund j. and louise w. kahn endowed professor of the humanities.

[email protected]

(215) 898-5846

Jolyon Thomas

Associate professor of religious studies.

Graduate Studies Chair of Religious Studies

[email protected]

(215) 746-3140

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Religious Studies, BA

Religion is a complex network of ideas and actions (ethical and ritual) that express a group's sense of ultimate meaning of life. The academic study of religion examines how the beliefs and values of contemporary and historical cultures shape and are shaped by societal factors, long-standing traditions, and distinctive forms of literary and artistic expression.

Because of the multi-faceted nature of the subject matter, the University of Pennsylvania's Religious Studies major program of study is open to students looking to tailor their educational experience to fit with their own personal and academic areas of interest. Each undergraduate who wishes to major in Religious Studies will meet with the Chair of the Department prior to claiming the major to discuss their desired coursework and create a individualized plan of execution.

As our core faculty shares research foci and skills in the study of material culture (art, manuscripts, archaeology, inscriptions, and other primary historical sources), we are well-suited to lead serious students in intensive research to better prepare them for graduate study which requires research and evaluation skills.

The minimum total course units for graduation in this major is 32. Double majors may entail more course units.

For more information: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/religious_studies/undergraduate/major

For information about the General Education requirements, please visit the College of Arts & Sciences Curriculum page.

You may count no more than one course toward both a Major and a Sector requirement. For Exceptions, check the  Policy Statement .

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Robert Kraft, Religious Studies

• October 3, 2023
• vol 70 issue 8

Born in Wolcott, Connecticut, Dr. Kraft obtained his BA in philosophy from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1955. Two years later, he earned an MA in biblical literature (New Testament), also from Wheaton, then went on to receive a PhD in the history and philosophy of religion, specializing in Christian origins, from Harvard University in 1961. He served as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester in the U.K. before joining Penn’s faculty in 1963, as an assistant professor of religious thought. From 1965 to 1966, he was a visiting lecturer at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia; meanwhile, at Penn, he was promoted to associate professor in 1968 and became a full professor in 1976. From 1992 to until his retirement and assumption of emeritus status in 2003, he was the American Berg Professor of Religious Studies. 

From the time he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1969, Dr. Kraft was a leader in his field. At Penn, Dr. Kraft was a pioneer in using computers for the humanities ( Almanac March 20, 1980 ), specifically the computerization and digitization of ancient Jewish scriptures in Greek and papyri and related documents in the Penn collections. He also made important contributions to the study of history and literatures of Judaism in the Greco-Roman period (particularly the Septuagint and Old Greek translations), Coptic texts, as well as updating and expanding the “Lost Apocrypha of the Old Testament.” He received several grants from the University Research Foundation to support this work, continuing well into the 2000s. Dr. Kraft served as a member of Penn’s University Council, and, outside of Penn, held key roles with several learned societies. He was president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2006 after holding several other administrative roles in the organization over the preceding decades. Additionally, he co-founded the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins in 1963, chaired the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas in 1971, and was a member of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, the American Society of Papyrologists, and the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center, among others. 

Dr. Kraft is survived by his wife, Carol; his daughter, Cindy (Ken); his sons, Scott (Nadine), Todd, and Randy Sr. (Tina); his grandchildren, Alison (Tim), Jonathan, Kristin, Pierce (Charley), Randy Jr, Stephanie, Natalie, Gabrielle, and Beatrice; his brothers, Charles (Marguerite) and David (Stephanie); and his sister, Sharon (Peer).

A celebration of Dr. Kraft’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory can be made to the Wolcott Historical Society, PO Box 6410, Wolcott, CT 06716, or to the Society of Biblical Literature, at https://www.sbl-site.org/membership/giving.aspx . 

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Fan Studies Network North America Conference 2024 (virtual)

FSNNA24 Call for Participation Fan Studies Network North America Conference 2024 (virtual) October 17-20, 2024

*taps microphone*

Coming this October!

The greatest fan studies event of this year, or any other.

An academic event of such magnitude, its like will never be seen again.

Four days of research … discussion … and community building!

Hold onto your webcams and get ready for…

FSNNA PRESENTS: THE MONSTERS OF FAN STUDIES WORLD TOUR ’24 Submissions for the 2024 FSNNA Conference

FSNNA warmly welcomes submissions from early career researchers, graduate students, and independent scholars, as well as established scholars. Likewise, contributions are welcomed from across disciplines and need not be limited to just fan studies: we are interested in work from media studies, the humanities, the social sciences, library science, and more.

In the interest of making our discussion as vibrant, inclusive, and interdisciplinary as possible, we’ve decided not to list specific topics this year. Instead, we encourage contributions that  consider all forms of fandom.

This may include specific media texts (e.g., film, television, print texts/series, games, video streaming, etc.), other fan-objects (e.g., sports, music, celebrity culture, etc.), specific national or regional contexts, theoretical approaches to studying fandom, investigations of fanwork genres or fan practices, and more.

Format of the 2024 Conference

FSNNA 2024 is a discussion-focused online conference. 

Participants will be grouped into  roundtables  for a live conversation based on overlapping objects, approaches, methods, or issues. Each roundtable participant will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and their work for 5–7 minutes, followed by some moderated discussion and Q&A with the audience.

Participants will also prepare a digital  poster  summarizing their research contribution. More specific guidelines about poster formats will be available soon! Posters will be available asynchronously throughout the conference in our Discord server, where attendees can ask questions and share feedback.

Submissions are due by  Saturday, May 4 . If your work is accepted for the conference, then your poster will be due by  Friday, September 20 .

Submission Details

Ready to submit your work for FSNNA 2024? Here’s what the application form will ask for: 

• An abstract of ~300 words (include a clear explanation of your research, methods, and the project’s relevance to fan studies and fan studies scholars)
• 3 keywords about your poster (may include topics, texts, theories, methods, etc.)
• A bibliography of 3–5 references
• A biographical statement (~50 words)

As in past years, we also welcome the submission of pre-constituted roundtables, which are a group of 3-5 talks that are already organized around a shared topic, text, and/or method. Please note, however, that participants in a pre-constituted roundtable must still contribute posters.

Get Ready for the 2024 Conference!  

Thank you for reading this call for participation. We’re excited to consider your work for the 2024 FSNNA conference!

Still have a question? Please feel free to contact us at  [email protected] .

Ready to submit your work?  Visit our submission form  (or if the link doesn’t work, copy and paste this into your browser:  https://forms.gle/BFWEEXvNukJoktQu9 )

• Master of Arts in Religious Studies
• Admission Requirements
• Financial Aid
• Reisacher Summer Fellowship
• Reisacher Summer Fellowship – Application Cover Sheet
• Major in Religious Studies (Requirements for the BA)
• Honors Thesis and Departmental Honors in Religious Studies
• Minor in Religious Studies
• Earn a BA and MA in Five Years (Integrated Graduate Studies program)
• Why Study Religion?
• RLGN Spring 2024
• AFST Spring 2024
• Transfer Credit
• Calendar of Events
• How to Give

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College of Arts and Sciences

Department of religious studies.

• Alumni Spotlight

Undergraduate

• Major in Religious Studies (BA Requirements)
• Minor in African and African American Studies
• Reisacher Summer Fellowship - Application Cover sheet
• RLGN Fall 2024
• AFST Fall 2024
• Program in Judaic Studies

Jonathan Tan Annual Lecture – Southeast Asia

• April 11, 2024

Each year, Professor Jonathan Tan presents a lecture in Professor Anurag Gupta’s course, EMBA 475: “Managing in a Global Economy”. Professor Tan’s lecture this Saturday, April 13th 2024, will be on Southeast Asia: History, Geopolitics, Challenges and Opportunities,” as the class will be doing a study tour of Indonesia and Malaysia this summer.