Sociology of Religion

[username4321]

i am heading into a MTS degree in the fall. my focus/interests are in ethics, society, and the sociology of religion. when looking at phd programs i am curious if the MTS can lead natually into a phd in sociology with a focus on religion (which i have seen at schools like emory, duke, texas, ucsb, vandy, etc..)? and what steps would be best to take while a MTS to best prepare me and my resume for that path? any ideas ladies and gents? i would appreciate it..

[coqui21]

It probably depends on the school. I would assume though, that schools that focus on soc. of religion might accept you to their PhD program but also require you to take at least some of their required MA level courses. (Stats/Methods/Theory). If this is so, it might take you a year longer than other incoming PhD students.

This is all just speculation though. In most cases, schools don't decide which credits they're going to take until you've already accepted their offer.

[mystic rose]

I second that it probably depends on the program. Also, I think it depends on what you want to study. If you're interested in quantitative research, then it would definitely be a good idea to take a class in basic statistics. If you're interested in qualitative research, then you should take a qualitative methods class. That way you hopefully won't have to take these basic courses as a PhD student (I say hopefully because schools can be picky about what classes from other programs they will count).

In my case, I have a BA in religion (Christian ethics focus) and political science and a MA in religion (Christian ethics focus). I applied to 3 religion PhD programs for sociology of religion, and one sociology PhD program with an emphasis in sociology of religion. My application cycle has gone pretty well, and it didn't seem to matter to the schools that I don't have a sociology background. However, at the recruitment weekends I've attended, the professors I talked to did mention that it was good that I had experience in the social sciences as an undergrad political science major. So, I'm inclined to think that having a few courses in stats/theory/methods helps.

[misterpat]

Sociology programs generally welcome non-sociology majors with open-arms. Someone even told me before they almost prefer people with majors that are considered more difficult (probably with some soc. coursework, though), since a lot of Universities requirements for a Sociology major aren't very difficult. [Please note before you attack me for claiming that "sociology is simplistic, bullshit, not a real discipline etc." (which I didn't say, anyway) that sociology was one of my majors AND that the ASA on their website encourages departments to make the requirement for a sociology major more rigorous, AND provides a list of tips to encourage smarter students to major in sociology.]

Sub-topic: Perhaps one of you folks can explain to me why someone would choose Sociology of Religion over, say, Religious Studies or even History of Religion. Is there a fundamental difference in outlook (say, is soc. more of a critical perspective)? Would Religious Studies be more based on interpretation of scripture, and thus have more difficult language requirements? Is it a relative-comeptitiveness issue? I asked my roommate this last year (who was a R.S. major) and he really couldn't provide me with a satisfactory explanation (though he abhorred Sociology in general).

[coqui21]

I'm not extremely familiar with religious studies research, but I am aware of people who were trained as sociologists of religion and are now in religious studies departments. There are also psychologists of religion, theologists, anthropologists, etc. Religious studies seems fairly broad, whereas sociologists tend to study how individuals/society influence religion, and how religion influences individuals and society. For the most part, sociologists of religion do not delve into scripture or religious ideas. I would think that our methods of research are pretty different, as well.

[username4321]

i second that. religious studies is more historical and biblically focused where sociology of religion is more practical study of religion and its effects on society. you can also pair it with studying economics, non-profits, etc..

thanks for the answers guys. i did my undergrad in economics at university of chicago, which was very quant based, so hopefully that background will work well with a MTS when heading into a soc program. any advice would be great as far as things to do while getting my MTS (taking a few grad courses in the soc department, finding a prof to work with, etc..) or things you have learned in the application process that you wish you knew two years ago or so..

thanks!

[mystic rose]

I think it depends on the focus of the specific religious studies department. Religious studies departments can encompass classes on scripture, systematic theology, philosophy of religion, religious ethics, religious history, religious literature, comparative religions, sociology of religion, etc. Some lean more towards a historical and biblical approach, while others are more focused on religion and its influence on culture.

[username4321]

I guess i am curous as how to shape my electives and the couple courses i can take outside of the religion department? as well as if i should focus my thesis on a soc topic (and what they like to see)? and the best way to spend my summer off in between years?

mystic rose, you mentioned applying to 3 religion and one soc of religion, which ones?

[lastdazeman]

I would like to resurrect this discussion. From where I'm sitting it seems to have died in March.

I have been using Google to search for a graduate program where I can earn a doctorate in the Sociology of Religion. I've not been in school full time in 30 years. Back then I earned a BA, double majoring in Sociology and Anthropology. I had a fair background in math so I aced social statistics. I went on to get a BS in computer science.

I have a boatload of questions on more general topics but I want to focus here and now on potential schools. In what I have found so far, Baylor has the most courses that focus on the Sociology of Religion; Purdue is a distant second. The problem is that our daughter has MS and for her to visit us in Waco, Texas in the summer presents a problem (not to mention my spouse is reluctant to endure the heat there either). MS patients need to stay cool.

Reading this thread has also caused me to be more open to the idea of Religious Studies. I do like the idea of inter-disciplinary approaches but there has got to be a down-side.

In the years since college I have worked in the computer industry while pursuing my true interests by church-hopping, reading, writing, surfing the internet, and taking a sabbatical to teach and coordinate religious education.

Long term I would like to turn my attention to research in the relationships between the many faith groups and the other institutions of the societies in which they exist. In my spare time I have followed Barna's studies, the Pew Forum, religion-online, religion news writers, and formed my own company to create on-line surveys. My current interest and spare-time work has been around the issue that faith groups perceive themselves unable to effectively quantify and measure spiritual maturity.

I feel I need a PhD to accomplish what I believe I have been called to do because I have found that in life one can be extremely wise, discerning and knowledgeable but people are much more likely to take one's contributions seriously if one has the credentials. Beyond this I also find that the more scholarship one is exposed to, the more probable that the contributions will be creative and effective.

Thank you for reading my post.

[slothy]

What are you hoping to do after you complete the Ph.D.? I'm guessing that you're not terribly concerned about the tenure track since it sounds like you're already financially secure. That gives you the freedom to expand the scope of your search a bit beyond the top-ranking departments and consider geography. I have found sociology to be very meritocratic relative to the other fields I'm familiar with (namely law and poli sci) - if you're able to dedicate yourself to producing and publishing quality work, I think you'll be taken seriously wherever you study. Why not start taking courses at the nearest school with social science grad courses as a non-matriculated student this fall so you can begin the process of accumulating credits and gaining the letters you'll need this application season? Most grad courses only meet 1-2 days a week, so don't be afraid to look at universities a few hours away from you. That would give you connections to faculty that might be able to consult with you on your applications, even if they're not experts on religion themselves.

There are plenty of flagship state schools doing good work that would love to have you - especially if you could forgo fellowship support in these lean times. I would also suggest you look at universities with good interdisciplinary research groups in religion (they might be formal programs or they might be informal cliques... you might have to ask around a bit to locate them. A few that I can name are Duke, U. Washington, Notre Dame, maybe Berkeley and Princeton - I'm no expert on religion, though.)

If I were you I'd suggest trying to attend the ASA meetings in San Francisco in August. Travel costs are low enough that you could still feasibly plan a trip and it would give you the chance to try to meet some of the people you might want to work with in person - this could be particularly helpful for you if you don't have good academic LOR's. Finally, when you look at programs, I wouldn't be particularly concerned with the number of courses they offer - what is more important is the number of faculty, both in their soc department and across campus, that you could see yourself working with. That said, you really only need one strong mentor (as long as he/she doesn't move or die while you're in school) to be successful in grad school.

Hope this helps!

[lastdazeman]

Thanks. That is really helpful. Your comments expand on some I've got from Scott T. at the Hartford Inst.

I suppose I should slow down on the shopping and get serious about taking the GRE.

Sorry it took so long to acknowledge your post. I thought I would get notified via email about responses but I was not. I better see what my profile is set to.

Thanks so much!

[lastdazeman]

If I were you I'd suggest trying to attend the ASA meetings in San Francisco in August. Travel costs are low enough that you could still feasibly plan a trip and it would give you the chance to try to meet some of the people you might want to work with in person - this could be particularly helpful for you if you don't have good academic LOR's.

My daughter (senior in high school) wants to check out a school so we will both be going. My aunt and uncle and a cousin or two are in the neighborhood of SF and she can hang out with them while I'm at the conference.

It seems I can just show up and pay my money (hopefully I can get by with the $130).

I'm thinking about emailing folks to see if they will be there. Do you think that's a good idea?

[Lev Bronstein]

I'm thinking about emailing folks to see if they will be there. Do you think that's a good idea?

I'd check the program online first. You can search by name,

[lastdazeman]

What are you hoping to do after you complete the Ph.D.? I'm guessing that you're not terribly concerned about the tenure track since it sounds like you're already financially secure. That gives you the freedom to expand the scope of your search a bit beyond the top-ranking departments and consider geography. I have found sociology to be very meritocratic relative to the other fields I'm familiar with (namely law and poli sci) - if you're able to dedicate yourself to producing and publishing quality work, I think you'll be taken seriously wherever you study. Why not start taking courses at the nearest school with social science grad courses as a non-matriculated student this fall so you can begin the process of accumulating credits and gaining the letters you'll need this application season? Most grad courses only meet 1-2 days a week, so don't be afraid to look at universities a few hours away from you. That would give you connections to faculty that might be able to consult with you on your applications, even if they're not experts on religion themselves.

There are plenty of flagship state schools doing good work that would love to have you - especially if you could forgo fellowship support in these lean times. I would also suggest you look at universities with good interdisciplinary research groups in religion (they might be formal programs or they might be informal cliques... you might have to ask around a bit to locate them. A few that I can name are Duke, U. Washington, Notre Dame, maybe Berkeley and Princeton - I'm no expert on religion, though.)

If I were you I'd suggest trying to attend the ASA meetings in San Francisco in August. Travel costs are low enough that you could still feasibly plan a trip and it would give you the chance to try to meet some of the people you might want to work with in person - this could be particularly helpful for you if you don't have good academic LOR's. Finally, when you look at programs, I wouldn't be particularly concerned with the number of courses they offer - what is more important is the number of faculty, both in their soc department and across campus, that you could see yourself working with. That said, you really only need one strong mentor (as long as he/she doesn't move or die while you're in school) to be successful in grad school.

Hope this helps!

I need to thank you again for your advice. I went to the ASA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. I also took a graduate level sociology course. I had to pay out of pocket a few grand but the professor wrote over a dozen letters of recommendation for me and helped me put together a good writing sample. Bottom line is that I have been accepted to one of the schools, although I was not accepted to the school where I took the course. I will be on my way to a Ph.D. starting in Fall 2010. Thank you again for the great advice.