Areas of Study

The PhD program in Religious Studies provides professional training for a career in the scholarly study of religion, usually through a college or university professorship. The program is divided into fifteen areas, listed below. Students apply to these specific areas for admission, and their course of study is governed by the particular requirements of their chosen area.

•  African and African Diaspora Religions

  • Faculty: Crawley, Hoehler-Fatton, Schmidt

• American Religions

  • Faculty: Braun, Crawley, Flake, Flores, Hedstrom, Marsh, V. Ochs, Warren

• Buddhist Modernities

  • Faculty: Braun, Germano, Heller

• Buddhist Studies

  • Faculty: Allen, Braun, Germano, Heller, Kachru, Nemec, Schaeffer

• Christian Theological Perspectives

  • Faculty: Bouchard, Crawley, Flake, Flores, Geddes, Jenkins, Jones, Marsh, Mathewes, Shuve

• Comparative Scripture, Interpretation, and Practice

  • Faculty: al-Rahim, Alexander, Biemann, Bouchard, Nair, P. Ochs, V. Ochs

CSIP administers two specialized terminal MA programs: MA Concentration in Religion, Politics, and Conflict; MA Concentration in World Religions/World Literatures.

• Hinduism

  • Faculty: Allen, Braun, Kachru, Nair, Nemec

• Islamic Studies

  • Faculty: al-Rahim, Andruss, Hoehler-Fatton, Nair

• Judaism

  • Faculty: Alexander, Andruss, Biemann, Geddes, Goering, Halvorson-Taylor, P. Ochs, V. Ochs

• Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity 

  • Faculty: Alexander, Andruss, Goering, Halvorson-Taylor, Shuve, Spittler

• Modern and Contemporary Religious Thought

  • Faculty: Biemann, Bouchard, Braun, Crawley, Flake, Flores, Geddes, Germano, Hedstrom, Jenkins, Jones, Mathewes

• Religion, Literature, and Culture

  • Faculty: Alexander, Bouchard, Crawley, Flores, Geddes, Germano, Goering, Halvorson-Taylor, Heller, Jones, Kachru, Mathewes, Nair, Nemec, Spittler, V. Ochs

• Religious Ethics

  • Faculty: Alexander, Allen, al-Rahim, Andruss, Bouchard, Braun, Crawley, Flores, Geddes, Germano, Heller, Jenkins, Jones, Kachru, Mathewes, Nair, V. Ochs

• South Asian Religions

  • Faculty: Allen, Braun, Germano, Kachru, Nair, Nemec

• The Study of Religion

  • Faculty: Alexander, Bouchard, Braun, Geddes, Hoehler-Fatton, Jenkins, Jones, Mathewes, Nair, Nemec, V. Ochs