Higher Degrees in the Study of Religion

The doctor of philosophy (PhD) program in religion at Harvard dates from 1934, when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences established a degree of PhD in “The History and Philosophy of Religion.” Its purpose, as stated by the Faculty, was “to make possible a course of studies which shall enable the candidate both to lay a broad and sufficient foundation for teaching and study within the field of religion, and to do individual research at some point in that field.” In accordance with that expressed intention, the Faculty voted in 1963 to name the program The Study of Religion.

Programs leading to this degree, and also to the bachelor of arts (AB), master of arts (AM), and doctor of theology (ThD) degrees in the same subject, are administered by the Committee on The Study of Religion, a standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences with membership from both that Faculty and the Faculty of Divinity.

Admission

Applicants to the PhD program must, at a minimum, have a bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, with an undergraduate record of outstanding quality. Although a previous master’s degree is not required, it is an advantage in the competition for admission. Similarly, while a previous major in the field of religion is not required, the applicant’s background in this and related subjects is a critical consideration. Please note that GRE scores are required for admission.

All doctoral applicants are expected to have foundational language work in the area of specialization (Hebrew, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, etc.) at the time of application. In addition, as described in detail further on, admitted students must demonstrate reading competence in two modern languages of secondary scholarship relevant to their course of study. A background in either or both of these languages is also advantageous in the admissions process.

Applicants should indicate, on the Proposed Program Sheet, the broader area within the study of religion in which they expect to work and the special interests they would like to pursue, according to the des-cription of the PhD program. As described below, the PhD program in the Study of Religion at Harvard is structured in such a way that a context of study and a special field are pursued under one of two program options.

Note: At Harvard, advanced programs of study involving religion may be arranged under many auspices. The PhD under this committee, in “The Study of Religion,” is one among various possibilities. Some candidates will find that they can best pursue their interests by becoming a candidate for the PhD in such departments as Anthropology, Classics, History, East Asian or Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Philosophy, or Sanskrit and Indian Studies. The ThD program of Harvard Divinity School, also administered by the Committee on the Study of Religion, offers specialized theological study of the Christian, Jewish, and western humanistic traditions. Some candidates may find the program for the MTS, MDiv, or ThM degree in the Divinity School more suitable for focusing their interests and strengthening their preparation for doctoral studies. The Committee reserves the right to advise the applicant to seek training in one of these alternative programs if, in its judgment, such a course would be in the applicant’s interest.


We encourage online submission of the application.

The PhD Degree in the Study of Religion

 

This degree involves both general and specialized work in the study of religion. At the most general level, every candidate undertakes to develop a synoptic historical understanding of human religiousness at large and a firm grounding in the theories and methodologies in the field of the study of religion. This foundation is to be deepened through a broad grasp of a context of study (see below), which provides the principal framework within which the candidate must develop mastery, at an advanced level, of some specialization in the study of religion.


Context of Study. As there are substantial faculty and other resources in these areas at Harvard, the following contexts have been recognized for work in the Study of Religion:

 

Traditions	Historical Complexes
Buddhist	the Greco-Roman or Hellenistic World
Christian	the Modern West
Confucian	East Asia
Hindu	China
Chinese	Japan
Islamic	South Asia
Jewish

Applicants may propose other traditions or historical complexes, e.g., Inner Asian or African religions, for study. Those interested in Iranian or Ancient Near Eastern religions should consult both the Study of Religion and the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations to determine how a program might best be shaped.

Special field. In addition to locating his or her program within a context of study, a student will focus on an area of specialization. At present the special fields (which correspond to certain faculty groups at the Divinity School) pertinent to these contexts of study are:

New Testament and Christian Origins

Hebrew Bible

History of Christianity

Theology

Philosophy of Religion

Ethics

Religion and Society

Religion, Gender, and Culture

It is important both to the admissions process and in the initial assignment of an adviser that applicants in the Christian tradition, the Modern West, or the Greco-Roman or Hellenistic World, indicate which of the above fields will serve as “home base.”

Topical Interests. More specific topical interests within the special field—such as women’s experience, ritual, popular religion, or mysticism— should also be noted.

Program Options. The PhD program is pursued under one of two options:

Option I: Comparative

 

While there is a comparative element in all advanced study of religion, the work under this option makes it explicit in that the student chooses for comparison two religious traditions (see list above), one to be the major, one the minor. As historical complexes are by nature comparative, they should not be chosen for comparison in an Option I program. Therefore, one could do an Option I program comparing Christianity and Hinduism, but not Christianity and South Asia. Nor could one compare the Modern West and South Asia, for example.

 

Option II: A Single Tradition or Historical Complex

Under this option, one of the traditions or historical complexes for which facilities are available at Harvard (see lists above) is chosen as the context of study. The specialization is pursued within that context. Some examples of option II programs are: Buddhism (context of study)/ethics (specialization); the Modern West (context of study)/theology (specialization); Hinduism (context of study)/the medieval period (specialization).

General Requirements for the PhD in the Study of Religion

 

Students admitted to this program will register in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Courses pertinent to their different areas of study are listed in the Courses of Instruction of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and in the Divinity School catalogue.

Full-time study is required during the first two years of the PhD program. This means four half-courses during each term, with a minimum average grade of B. For tuition requirements, see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook or the GSAS Guide to Admission and Financial Aid.

Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. in seven years. Only in unusual cases can the program be completed in less than four-and-a-half academic years.

 

Languages. A high standard of reading proficiency in two modern languages of secondary scholarship relevant to a student’s course of study (in addition to English) is required. This proficiency is to be demonstrated through coursework or by exam after enrollment in the program. A student and his or her advisor will determine the choice of the two modern languages, which should not be confused with primary source languages necessary for the specialization. Typically, French and German are selected as modern languages of secondary scholarship, however in certain fields other modern languages are more relevant. For example, a student focusing on Chinese Buddhism would normally study classical Chinese and Japanese as primary source languages, and then might choose modern Japanese and modern Korean as languages of secondary scholarship.

Coursework Outside the Specialization. The committee requires of each student satisfactory completion of two common seminars in the first two years (normally in the first and fourth term of study), and in addition two courses outside the specialty, focusing on a religious tradition or traditions other than the one a student elects as the context of study.

Second Year Review. An oral review (oneand- a-half hours) in the second year will assess the student’s progress in the specialty, ability to pursue self-critically an academic study of religion, and probability of completing the doctoral program successfully. The review normally occurs in the third or fourth term of study.

General Examinations. After the satisfactory completion of two years of full-time study, the modern language requirements, the coursework outside the specialization, and the second year review, a student prepares for the General Examinations. PhD students must take their Generals by the end of their third year. All PhD students take a Theory and Methods in the Study of Religion general exam. Three additional exams are arranged according to a student’s context of study and specialization.

The Dissertation. Within 12 months of passing the General Examinations, all candidates must submit a written dissertation prospectus of not more than 2,000 words (plus bibliography), formulating a dissertation project. Upon formal approval of the prospectus, the student commences the writing of the dissertation. The length of the dissertation is limited to 300 pages. Once the dissertation is completed and approved by the adviser, the degree candidate is examined orally by a committee of at least three faculty readers, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The AM Degree

No one is admitted as a candidate for the AM, only for the PhD. Nevertheless, the requirements for the master’s degree must be satisfied by all students as they move toward the doctorate, and are expected to be completed by the end of the fourth term.

The AM degree may be granted when these requirements are fulfilled.

For the AM degree a minimum of two full years of coursework (with a minimum average grade of B) is required, the modern language requirements must be met, the requirement of two courses outside the specialization fulfilled, and a satisfactory second year review completed.

For More Information

For questions regarding the PhD program in the Study of Religion, please contact:

the Program Administrator,

The Committee on the Study of Religion,

12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138;

phone: (617) 495-5781; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Applications to the program may be obtained online via the Study of Religion Website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~csrel/. The Website also includes links to many related sites, such as course catalogues, and the Masters and ThD degree programs offered through Harvard Divinity School.

Applications for admission and financial aid may be obtained from:

Admissions Office,

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,

Holyoke Center 3rd floor,

1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138.

We encourage online submission of the application. 

Standing Committee Membership: 2007-2008

Eck, Diana L., Frederic Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society (Chair)

Abe, Ryuichi, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religion (on leave spring 2008)

Ahmed, Leila, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Divinity (Divinity School)

Asani, Ali, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture

Cohen, Shaye, Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy

Fiorenza, Francis, Charles Chauncey Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies (Divinity School) (Director of ThD Studies)

Frederick, Marla, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and of the Study of Religion

Giron Negron, Luis, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of Comparative Literature (on leave spring 2008)

Graham, William A., Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies (FAS) and John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity (Dean of the Divinity School)

Hamburger, Jeffrey, Professor of History of Art and Architecture (on leave 2007-08)

Hardacre, Helen, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society (on leave fall 2007)

Jones, Christopher, George Martin Lane Professor of the Classics and of History

King, Karen, Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History (Divinity School)

Lamberth, David, Associate Professor of Theology (Divinity School)

Madigan, Kevin, Professor of the History of Christianity (Divinity School)

Monius, Anne, Professor of South Asian Religions (Divinity School) (Director of Undergraduate Studies)

Olupona, Jacob, Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS) and Professor of African Religious Traditions (Divinity School)

Patil, Parimal, Associate Professor of the Study of Religion and of Sanskrit and Indian Studies (Director of PhD. Studies)

Patton, Kimberley, Professor in the Comparative and Historical Study of Religion (Divinity School)

Puett, Michael, Professor of Chinese History

 

Other Faculty Offering Instruction in the Study of Religion

 

Ahmed, M. Shahab, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies (on leave 2007-08)

Bovon, Francois, Frothingham Professor of the History of Religion (Divinity School)

Braude, Anne, Senior Lecturer in American Religious History (Divinity School)

Carrasco, David, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor for the Study of Latin America (FAS, Divinity School)

Cesari, Jocelyne, Visiting Associate Professor of Islamic Studies (Divinity School)

Clooney, Francis X., Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology (Divinity School)

Coakley, Sarah, Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Professor of Divinity (Divinity School)

Cox, Harvey, Hollis Professor of Divinity (Divinity School)

Denzey, Nicola, Lecturer on the Study of Religion-

Duffy, John, Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Byzantine Philology and Literature

Dyck, Arthur, Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Population Ethics (Public Health, Divnity School)

Esack, Farid, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Visiting Professor of Islamic Studies (FAS and Divinity School)

Gomes, Peter J., Plummer Professor of Christian Morals (Divinity School)

Gyatso, Janet, Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies (Divinity School) (on leave 2007-08)

Hall, David D., John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History (Divinity School)

Hanson, Paul, Florence Corliss Lamont Professor of Divinity (Divinity School) (on leave fall 2007)

Harris, Jay M., Harry Austryn Wolfson Professor of Jewish Studies

Henrichs, Albert, Eliot Professor of Greek Literature

Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks, Victor S. Thomas Professor of History and of African and African American Studies

Hollywood, Amy, Elizabeth H. Monrad Professor of Christian Studies (Divinity School) (on leave 2007-08)

Jackson, Michael, Visiting Professor of World Religions (Divinity School)

Johansen, Baber, Professor of Islamic Religious Studies (Divinity School)

Kienzle, Beverly, Professor of the Practice of Latin and Romance Languages (Divinity School)

Kleinman, Arthur, Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology (FAS) and Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Anthropology (Medical School) (on leave 2007-08)

Kloppenberg, James, Harvard College Professor and David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History

Koester, Helmut H., John H. Morison Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Winn Research Professor of Ecclesiastical History (Divinity School)

Lahiri, Smita, Associate Professor of Anthropology (on leave 2007-08)

Levenson, Jon D., Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies (Divinity School)

Little, David, T.J. Dermot Dunphy Professor of the Practice in Religion, Ethnicity, and International Conflict (Divinity School)

Machinist, Peter, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages

Mendelsohn, Everett, Professor of the History of Science

Mitten, David G., James C. Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology (on leave spring 2008)

Mottahedeh, Roy, Gurney Professor of History (on leave spring 2008)

Nasrallah, Laura, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity (Divinity School)

Provost-Smith, Patrick, Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity (Divinity School)

Queen, Christopher S., Lecturer on the Study of Religion

Schofer, Jonathan, Assistant Professor of Comparative Ethics (Divinity School)

Schussler Fiorenza, Elisabeth Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity (Divinity School)

Skjaervo, P. Oktor, Aga Khan Professor of Iranian

Swearer, Donald, Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies (Divinity School)

Thiemann, Ronald, Professor of Theology and of Religion and Society (Divinity School)

Tu, Wei-Ming, Harvard-Yenching Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy and of Confucian Studies

Van der Kuijp, Leonard, Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies (on leave fall 2008)

Williams, Preston, Houghton Research Professor of Theology and Contemporary Change (Divinity School)