Interdisciplinary (religion) background seeking the right department

[ACurlyShepherdLad]

Hi, everyone:

Question for you.

My academic background is a bit interdisciplinary. In undergrad, I majored in English, writing, philosophy and religion. I attended divinity school for an MDiv afterward, but the classes I loved the most had literary focuses and explored religious themes in reading and writing. I tabled my PhD aspirations to do an MFA in creative writing instead, not feeling quite ready for a PhD or certain I wanted to do one (mostly because of the job market).

I've been doing some research on doctoral programs and I keep stumbling upon universities like Chicago that seem to have programs through their religion departments that emphasize "religious literature." In my experience, though, English professors tend to know a lot about religious themes in the literature they research and teach (and the theological contexts in which that literature was written), so it seems like English departments should be able to support study at these intersections, too. I've been leaning more towards applying to PhD programs in literature given my MFA is more recent and its GPA better, but I figured I'd ask you all first if I should be considering applying through religion departments instead. English programs don't seem to have the same language requirements as religion programs, but religion programs might appreciate my MDiv more than lit programs appreciate my MFA. So many factors to consider.

If it helps, related areas of interest include portrayals of clergy in literature, medieval lit, 20th-21st century British lit and religions/theologies in science fiction and fantasy literature.

TL;DR: Should someone with an MDiv and MFA interested in exploring religious themes in literature focus on applying through English departments or religion departments or both? 

My gratitude for your thoughts!

[OmniscienceQuest]

Hi friend -- I am in a somewhat similar position, coming from MDiv to PhD in Humanities. You should be focusing on individual professors whose research interests are a good fit with your own. I'm personally looking at faculty in many different departments -- Comp Lit, History, Religion, Jewish Studies, interdisciplinary programs. TBH an MDiv and MFA might not look like advantages to everyone on the admissions committee -- you'll need to demonstrate a serious commitment to RESEARCH on your application, and also in any exploratory emails you might send out. With only four or five months left until applications are due, I think you should be way past questions like "should I get a PhD in Literature or Religion?" If you look through the forums you'll see that it's very common for people to apply to programs, get rejected across the board, and come back the next year much better prepared and have fantastic outcomes from their applications. Given your background, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to get into a great PhD program. You can even do it this year, if you can get from where you are to where you need to be with your proposal quickly. A lot of it also depends on where you'll be applying.

"I figured I'd ask you all first if I should be considering applying through religion departments instead" I say, you should consider applying to all departments, and then apply to the ones where you think your project fits very well with the program and the faculty.

"related areas of interest include portrayals of clergy in literature, medieval lit, 20th-21st century British lit and religions/theologies in science fiction and fantasy literature." This is fine but at this point in the process your elevator pitch should look like this: "I am interested in studying contrasting portrayals of Jesuit and Dominican clergy in 17th century British travel narratives, and their relationship with contemporaneous political debates about the role of Papal authority in Europe." I mean, laser focused.

My suggestion is that over the next two or three weeks you should first develop a NARROWLY focused and SPECIFIC research question or project, and then intensively study potential faculty advisors whose research and interests are a good match, and at the very end of that process start reaching out to them by email. There are lots and lots and lots of threads on this forum about how to write those emails (just search for "POI" and "email" or "how to email professor"). This is a brutal process and it's important to have a plan in place for what you're going to do for the next year if you find yourself in the same position as me and many many people here, striking out the first round and having to come back next year bruised but better prepared for the kind of competition you're facing.