RELIGION

Direct inquiries to: Dr. Robert Wright, Graduate Religion Studies Office,(215) 204-7237, 6th floor, Anderson Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122. E-mail: rwright@vm.temple.edu

Graduate Faculty

Rebecca Alpert, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Temple University; Mahmoud Ayoub, Professor, Ph.D., McGill University; Khalid Blankinship, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Washington; Lucy Bregman, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Katie Cannon, Associate Professor, Th.D., Union Theological Seminary; Thomas J. Dean, Associate Professor and Chair, Ph.D., Columbia University; Laura Levitt, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Emory University; Vasiliki Limberis, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Harvard University; Shigenori Nagatomo, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Hawaii; John C. Raines, Professor, Th.D., Union Theological Seminary; Norbert Samuelson, Professor, Ph.D., Indiana University; Leonard Swidler, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; David Watt, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Harvard University; Robert B. Wright, Professor, Ph.D., Hartford Seminary Foundation; Bibhuti S. Yadav, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Banaras Hindu University; Ellen Zhang, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Rice University.

General Statement

The Department of Religion offers a program of graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree. There is no separate M.A. program in Religion, but the M.A. degree may be taken in course, or may be taken by a student who does not complete the doctoral program.

Temple University's Ph.D. program in Religion is structured around three areas in the general field of religious studies: Textual and Historical Origins; Philosophy of Religion and Religious Thought; and Religion, Culture, and Society. These three areas of departmental strength and inter-departmental cooperation are the intellectual focus of a doctoral program in Religion, which enjoys a national and international reputation for its unique inter-disciplinary, inter-religious, and cross-cultural approach to the academic study of religion. In each of these areas there is an emphasis upon the encounter among religious traditions, the relation of religions to contemporary culture and society, and critical analysis of religions by the methods of the humanities and social sciences. As part of their program, students also are required to take courses in related fields in the university, e.g., history, literature, philosophy, psychology, sociology, women's studies.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a strong academic record (3.5 grade point average of a 4-point scale).
• If one has taken graduate studies, it should show a GPA of 3.75.
• General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores with a total of verbal plus quantitative or analytic at the 70th percentile. International applicants are not required to take the GRE.
• Students whose native language is other than English must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of a least 250 on the computer-based version (CBT) or 600 on the paper-based version.
• Three substantive letters of academic recommendation from current or former instructors.
• Prospective students are strongly encouraged, if possible, to visit Temple University for interviews with faculty, students and directors of the program, before January 31.
• Preparation in the languages of scholarship (e.g., French and German) and of research (e.g., Hebrew, Greek, Arabic) as appropriate.

Religion Studies Background

• An undergraduate major in religion, or
• A post-bachelor's degree in religion, or
• Eighteen semester hours course work in religion: six each in two religious traditions and six in methodological or related courses.

Applicants deficient in religion studies background, but with strong academic records, may be admitted with the additional requirement that they enroll for certain undergraduate religion courses without graduate credit. The formula immediately above will be applied unless early academic performance suggests fewer credits will be sufficient.

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the Ph.D. degree are sixty credit hours of graduate studies in religion, (twelve to eighteen may be transferred), competence in the languages of scholarship necessary for research in religion study and for research in one's area of specialization, at least two courses outside of religion study, written and oral doctoral examinations, and a dissertation.

Areas of Concentration

As a department of religion in a state-related university, the graduate program at Temple, in consciously departing from traditional models, has attempted to deal with religion as an academic discipline in the context of a large urban and secular university. The Graduate Program is organized into three Areas of Study: Historical and Textual Origins, Philosophy of Religion and Religious Thought, and Religion, Culture, and Society. Students usually concentrate within one of these Area but are expected to develop familiarity with the methods of study in the other Areas.

Students will encounter three dimensions to the study of religion. First, the Department makes available for study a broad spectrum of religious traditions. Instruction is offered in African religions, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. Second, the intersections of these traditions with the major forces in culture and society are examined, in such subjects as religion and sociology; anthropology; politics; psychology; ethics, and linguistics. Third, the several methods of analysis of the phenomenon of religion are debated, appropriate to historical-textual studies, philosophy of religion, and social and cultural studies.

Program Units

Unit I: Emphasis on Breadth

Unit I of the graduate program in Religion consists of 24 semester hours of courses, 12 of which are in four Foundations Courses and 12 in Specialization Courses. Twelve to eighteen credits of relevant graduate credits may be transferred from previous graduate studies. A first language of scholarship beyond English must be demonstrated. A general area of studies is decided upon and a faculty adviser is appointed. Unit I review is conducted at the completion of these requirements and upon recommendation of the faculty, a student may proceed to Unit II.

Unit II: Emphasis on Specialization and Preparation for Doctoral Examinations

In Unit II students take courses to prepare them for Doctoral Examinations. They are examined in all other languages of scholarship and research necessary for their area of study. They prepare a dissertation proposal and an outline of their areas of examinations. At least two other faculty members for their Doctoral Advisory Committee are appointed.

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