Graduate students in this area of focus will acquire a broad understanding of the history of the western Christian traditions and master the skills to do independent and original research on some area of specialization within that range. The area's central scholarly focus is the relationship between Christian traditions and western European and American cultures, study of which is multidisciplinary and requires working with colleagues and students from other departments and programs in addition to Religious Studies (e.g. Art History, English, Classical Studies, History, Philosophy, Romance and Germanic Literature and Languages, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies). Currently the department is particularly well-prepared to support topics that focus on Christianity in Late Antiquity (through 500 C.E.) and Early Modern Europe (1400-1700 C.E.).
History of Christianity
Special admissions requirements
To apply, you should have or be completing a master's program in a relevant or cognate field. You will choose a primary area of concentration and a secondary area.
Sample exam structure
There are five written exams, taken over a period of two weeks, followed by an oral examination. You are encouraged to get and begin preparing the bibliographies for their primary and secondary areas early in their doctoral coursework.
- Historical and cultural context relevant to the primary area (e.g., Christianity in Late Antiquity, Christianity in Early Modern Europe) (2 hours):
Bibliography is determined through consultation with the relevant faculty member. - Primary area of concentration (4 hours):
Bibliographies are available from the relevant faculty. - Secondary area (2 hours):
Bibliographies are available from the relevant faculty. - Thematic exam (2 hours):
This exam might focus on an issue related to another field in the department (e.g. Ethics, Philosophy, and Politics, or Ancient Religions), a specific method (e.g. textual or visual analysis) or a specific issue, delimited by period or genre (e.g. Gender, Art, or Literature). Bibliography is determined through consultation with the relevant faculty member. - Special topic (focused area relevant to the student’s possible dissertation) (2 hours):
Bibliography is determined through consultation with the primary faculty advisor.
The College of Arts