Phenomenologist

Looks like on the "Results" page someone got accepted at the Committee on Social Thought: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?t=t&o=&p=2

Bummer about not being able to add it after-the-fact, but congrats on the conference. I think YDS explicitly said they would notify people on March 15th, and financial packages may or may not be confirmed by then. With the extended YDS application deadline, it may extend our feedback date, as well.

Cool! Liora, what was your writing sample on? I'm curious what other applicants did. Was yours in a topic of "philosophical theology"? Mine was an exposition of Derrida's deconstruction, and its application to the Protestant notion of "sola scriptura," with its oppositional binary of "scripture versus tradition." It looks like we almost applied to the same programs! I decided to apply to Duke's M.Div. rather than MTS, since the MDiv students seemed to get a bit better funding with internship stipends. But I know a guy who applied to the MTS. Cool!

Where is this section, by the way? Thanks!

I'm not sure about the competitiveness of the program, but that's great that you have multiple options to consider. I think two of my buddies went to Hebrew University, but I always mix it up with Jerusalem University, and can never remember which. But they both studied in Israel (independently of one another). An-yong!

Wow, excellent!! Congrats, that is a really great package!!

Thanks everyone! They admit 150 people for the MDiv out of 350+ applicants, so I'm actually more anxious about the scholarships than anything else. I'll keep you guys posted when I hear some news next week. Marquette is a great school, I'd love to do my PhD there when it comes around. Hopefully funding comes through!

Just got a phonecall of acceptance to Duke Divinity :-). Won't know scholarships until next week.

Hmm, intresting -- it wasn't on my radar.

Congrats!!

Yup, I think this is precisely right. I really would prefer to go to a divinity school or seminary to study "theology," rather than "religious studies" at a university. However, I may be interested in the latter for PhD work -- we'll see =).

I just found this link after a Google search: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=duke&t=a&pp=50&o=i&p=2 Looks like in 2009, many MDiv applicants found out on Mar 8th. 2010 mostly has ThD feedback listed. Those MDiv/MTS applicants who found out on Mar 8th often didn't have financial aid information at that time, either. Also, looks like acceptances were exclusively by phone, whereas waitlist or rejection was by USPS or other means. I don't know why I had Feb 25th in my head, maybe the math from "January 10th deadline plus six weeks" (I think the website says around 6 weeks to process the application).

Hmm, now I'm struggling to find this on their website. Anyone else have any information to share?

LibTheologian, that makes sense -- three years is a long time. jdmhotness, I thought that was peculiar about Princeton as well -- annoying. ddsdevil, that's interesting to hear, thanks for sharing. What year are you in, there? I used to be extremely into critical biblical scholarship exclusively. I still am sympathetic with it, but studying a lot more philosophy, hermeneutics, and postfoundationalism has made me more keen on theological interpretations of scripture as well. (Which previously was anathema to me!) I think hermeneutics and philosophy of science really dismantles the division between "subjective theology" and "objective biblical studies."

radixlecti, I believe February 25th they will let us know. Trin, that's understandable. I'm interested in ANE studies, but moreso theology. My problem with Princeton Seminary is all the Barthians. Lib(eration) Theologian, that's interesting, because I'm also very keen on Marxian critiques. Hmm, maybe Duke's more conservative than I thought. I also am interested in Foucault, critical theory, Nietzsche, Derrida, postcolonial/feminist studies, etc. We'll see, I guess . I really only can go to Duke if I get a good scholarship (along with their hefty internship stipends), so that's what I'm hoping for.

If I remember correctly, Elshtain (U. of Chicago) told me at a lunch that it can be hard to find work afterward, coming out of the Committee on Social Thought. The interdisciplinary nature of the work (which is awesome) unfortunately doesn't make you quite as specialized/qualified to teach in any one area or department, it seems. Just a FYI...

That's a really good idea . I'm not terribly fussed about not getting in anywhere, my backup school is a shoo-in. (I'm not excited about my backup school, but it'd open relevant doors.)

What are your research interests? I'm most interested in theology, but also a bit of biblical studies. I like political theology, postliberal theology, liberation theology, radical orthodoxy, Nouvelle Théologie, philosophical theology, theurgical neoplatonism, etc. I'm most interested in political and social theory, with a particular emphasis on economic theory. I like Stan Hauerwas, John Milbank, Charles Taylor, William Cavanaugh, John Ruskin, and those types. Coming from a philosophy background, my interests are interdisciplinary, and include critical theory, Marx, Foucault, metaphysics, postmodern philosophy, hermeneutics, philosophy of language, and such. I'm really interested in exploring the intersections of theology with this area of disciplines, and its application to cultural studies and critique. How 'bout you guys?

Come to think of it, there also seems to be very few applicants to Princeton Seminary, as well. Any thoughts on this, too?

Hm, very interesting! I like studies of the Hebrew Bible as well, although I'm more into theology than biblical studies. And on that note, I'm definitely interested in liberation theology, as well.

Yeah, I'm not terribly psyched out or anything. Since the above commenters were saying the "comprehensive" program was less competitive than the specialized programs, I was just curious if the "philosophy of religion" concentration in particular was competitive (as opposed to Yale Div broadly speaking). Any thoughts on that note -- that concentration in particular?

Define "liberal" -- it's a relative term. You mean "liberalism" proper? Or "liberal Protestantism," as a kind of correlationist type? But I'm sympathetic with you -- I visited, and they did have a conservative sensibility about them.

That doesn't surprise me one bit, I believe it in a heartbeat. What's "Divine Warrior" stuff?

I'm just browsing everyone's signatures, and it seems like hardly any folks are applying to Duke Div, particularly at the MDiv/MTS level. Any thoughts as to why this is? EDIT: Also, there seems like very few applicants to Princeton Seminary, as well. Any thoughts?

Howdy guys =). I guess I forgot to add that I also served as a youth pastor for 3 years, which may or may not help my chances at various schools. Dillskyplayer, that doesn't surprise me at all -- it seems like a lot of my peers are lousy writers at the undergrad level, and I would suspect that at graduate levels as well (depending on the program). Tahuds, I'm not concerned about Searle -- if deconstruction were definitively "thrashed" in the 70's, it wouldn't be still in contemporary discourse (contrary to existentialism, which has fizzled out). I figured as long as I can show my facility with philosophical material, it would be a good sample for a "philosophy of religion" program.