Hello everyone,
I registered on this website in the hopes of getting some advice on what looks to me to be a challenging endeavor. I received my BA in English Studies in 2007 and since have not been able to stop reading about religion in its innumerable contexts. I have become particularly fascinated with the so-called "New Atheists", their academic reception, and the growing Humanist movement as it relates to the entrenched religions it rejects. More generally, I'm interested in how religious skepticism operates within modernity. I have no coursework to my name in either quantitative or qualitative research let alone anything with the word "religion" in it at all. My experience with the subject is relegated to either personal experience or personal reading. It's clear to me, however, that to take the next step I must apply to either a "religious studies" or "sociology of religion" PhD program. As for the distinction between the two, it seems to me that depends almost completely on the program although "sociology of religion" will generally deal with societal interactions with religion whereas "religious studies" might call for a more textual or historic approach. It seems clear to me that "sociology of religion" programs would be more up my alley.
To get to the point, my question is how my lack of applicable coursework will hurt my application. Can I redeem myself with good GRE scores, an obvious familiarity with current academic discourses and a good writing sample or is it absolutely necessary that I fill in these gaps in coursework before applying? How receptive are these programs to applicants with no sociology background? Are there programs especially receptive to the types of topics I'd like to explore?
Thank you in advance for any help!
-Marcus
