Degrees Offered

The Graduate Program in Religion offers graduate work in numerous programs leading
to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.

M.A. in Religious Studies

The M.A. Program in Religion is a terminal degree program housed within the Graduate Program in Religion. It is designed to give post-baccalaureate students training in the basic methods of religious studies and exposure to the principal fields of scholarly interest within the Department. It is designed as an alternative to the M.T.S. degree program offered by the Divinity School, a program organized by the theological disciplines. Likely applicants include recent Religion graduates from Duke who have not yet decided on their careers, prospective Ph.D. students on a "probationary" track, and local professionals who wish to expand their horizons by pursuing graduate studies in Religion. While some graduates of this program may choose to apply for Ph.D. studies in Religion at Duke, application to the Ph.D. program is a separate process. No guarantees for admission to the Ph.D. program are granted or implied by completion of the MA Program in Religion.

The principal methods in religious studies within the MA program are historical, comparative, and critical. The three main areas of scholarly research in the program are 1) Biblical Studies and Religion in Late Antiquity, 2) Asian Religions, and 3) Religion in Modern and Contemporary Culture. While all three methods are employed in each field of study, the primary methods for Biblical Studies and Religion in Late Antiquity are historical, the primary methods for Asian Religions are comparative, and the primary methods for Religion in Modern and Contemporary Culture are critical.

It is expected that students in the program will specialize in one of the three areas listed above. However, students may also work with a faculty advisor to form an alternative specialization, such as "Religion in Medieval and Renaissance Cultures," "Judaic Studies," "Religion in America," "Islamic Studies," etc. The program requires 24 units of coursework, 8 courses at 3 units each, and 6 units of ungraded research, for a total of 30 units. All MA students are required to take the department's seminar (Religion 212) in the theory and study of religion or an approved equivalent. Although it is not required, it is strongly recommended that students gain proficiency in the primary and secondary languages necessary for their field.

Half-tuition remission is available to anyone admitted to the MA Program.

MA theses completed 2006-07:

Andrew Cole, "A Feeling of Connection": Prayer in Practice and Belief in a Retirement Community." 7/10/2007. Advisor: Grant Wacker/Julie Byrne

JD/MA

The normal Graduate School requirement for the MA or MS are for a minimum of 30 units of credit registration, at least 24 of which must be graded (some programs require more graded units), plus a Masters exam. Masters students must maintain continuous registration, and pay a “continuation fee” for each semester they are in the program, whether or not they are registered for units of credit. Many departments have further requirements, such as a thesis or paper.

In the Joint Masters program with the School of Law, the 30 units of registration are still required; however, the number of graded units in the Graduate School has been reduced to a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24,depending upon the department. The remainder of the units may accumulate as “ungraded research” (there are no formal academic requirements for “ungraded research”). Like all other Masters students, Joint JD/MA, MS students must maintain continuous registration with the Graduate School, and take a Masters exam. Again, some departments have a thesis or paper requirement. The Graduate School also requires submission of a “Masters Thesis Examination Card” (requires a formal thesis format check in the Graduate School) or the “Non-Thesis Masters Examination Card” by the published deadline during the semester in which the student is graduating.

Students normally enter this program in the summer before their first year in the Law School. If a currently enrolled student wishes to apply to the Joint JD/MA, they must do so no later than April 15 of the second semester of the first year.

Ph.D. in Religious Studies

Students may concentrate their studies in one of the following fields of study: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, New Testament, Early Christianity, European Christianity (Christianity in Reformation Europe and Modern European Christianity), American Religious History, History of Judaism, Islamic Studies, Christian Theological Studies, Religion and Modernity, and Asian Religions.

Students will be expected to take courses that will contribute to an adequate understanding of their major field of specialization. Students also will take courses in inside and outside minor fields. An inside minor typically is another field in Religion and an outside minor typically is in a field intellectually contiguous to Religion, such as Anthropology, History, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, or Women's Studies.

When they are ready, students will take four preliminary exams: one each in their major, dissertation, inside minor, and outside minor.

At least two modern foreign languages are required by each field, which is determined by the faculty in a particular field of specialization (modern languages exam procedures).The languages must be completed before taking the doctoral preliminary examination. Entering students must complete at least one language requirement by the beginning of the second year of study or their funding will be revoked until the language is passed.

The program of doctoral studies presumes a foundation in the academic study of religion. Students applying for graduate work in religion directly from an undergraduate program should have completed a strong undergraduate major in religion or a closely related field.

Ph.D. dissertations completed in 2006-07:

Sujin Pak-Boyer, "The Judaizing Calvin: 16th c. Debates Over the Messianic Psalms." 9/1/2006. Advisor: David Steinmetz.

Holly Taylor Coolman, "The Law in the Economy of Salvation: A Christian Theology of God's Work in Israel." 12/11/2006. Advisor: Reinhard Huetter.

Stephan Turnbull, "The World Before and After Jesus: 2 Cor 2:14-6:10 as an Example of the Narrative Eschatological Character of Paul's Thought." 1/8/2007. Advisor: Richard Hays.

Hina Azam, "Sexual Violence in Maliki Legal Ideology: From Discursive Foundations to Classical Articulation." 1/12/2007. Advisor: Ebrahim Moosa.

Johann Gugelmann, "After Justification: Moral Epistemology in H. T. Engelhardt, Jr.'s Foundation of Bioethics." 3/7/2007. Advisor: Stanley Hauerwas.

Elizabeth Flowers, "Varieties of Evangelical Womanhood: Southern Baptists, Gender, and American Culture." 3/26/2007. Advisor: Grant Wacker.

Keith Johnson, "A 'Trinitarian' Theology of Religions? An Augustinian Assessment of Several Recent Proposals." 4/11/2007. Advisor: Geoffrey Wainwright.

Rodrigo Morales, "The Spirit and the Restoration of Israel: New Exodus and New Creation Motifs in Galatians." 4/18/2007. Advisor: Richard Hays.

Sarah Johnson, "Almost Certainly Called: Images of Protestant Missionaries in American Culture, 1945-2000." 4/23/2007. Advisor: Grant Wacker.