Seeking some guidance about potential doctoral programs

[Min.Indy]

Hello everyone, 

 

I have recently been accepted in the MSW/MDIV program at UNC-CH and Duke Divinity. I have been considering doctoral programs pending graduation. In discussing with UNC faculty and staff about my research interests, there is a consensus that it is a unique topic that affects both disciplines but can't quite give me guidance on whether it is feasible to pursue this with a PhD in Social Work. 

 

My research interest is spiritual violence or abuse that occurs in theo-centric communities, such as the African American faith traditions. My hope is to look at how the relationship between marginalized groups within the African American communities and the 'Black Church' creates trauma within communities and affects spiritual formation and identity development. 

 

I see how it affects the community on a service provision level and a theological level. However, I am struggling with finding people and programs who are: 1)  interested in this work academically, 2) conducting current research about spiritual violence that is not linked to domestic violence, or 3) willing to provide insight on whether or not I could research this. 

 

If anyone is willing to give me some insight or assistance, I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

 

[Josh J.]

That's some pretty fascinating stuff. Have you considered social psych or psychology of religion programs as a way to do this? Those are the first things that pop out at me. Also, what would anthropology say about these subjects? Sounds like ethnographic research might be the way to tackle this?

[goodbye I]

You may want to look into DU/Iliff's joint PhD program. This is not my field at all, so I may be off on this; however, I believe there are a number of students there that are interested in something similar to this. Edward Antonio and Miguel De La Torre may be POIs you could contact.

http://www.du.edu/duiliffjoint/

[Lualoo]

BU, Vanderbilt, and Emory all have subfields in their religion PhD programs related to theology and psychology. From what I know of Vanderbilt, they may be particularly interested in your topic - I would recommend looking into those programs.

[Balatro]

BU, Vanderbilt, and Emory all have subfields in their religion PhD programs related to theology and psychology. From what I know of Vanderbilt, they may be particularly interested in your topic - I would recommend looking into those programs.

 

Vandy would definitely be a place I'd look, and if your interests were particularly focused on how such spiritual violence occurs within/to female African-American populations, I think they'd be sold even more.

 

While at Yale, I was a MDiv/MSN (psych. nursing), and did work with individuals who turned to their clergy and church-affiliated organizations during and after issues of intimate domestic violence, only to find that such organizations were unsympathetic to their plight and all too often found themselves blamed, encouraged to stay with their partner, or even more grossly clergy used some metaphor to allude to Christ as one who too suffered (suffering/pain as something heroic to undergo).

 

It's a fascinating area and minimal work is being done in it, vocationally or academically so I applaud you for being interested in it. Like I said, my work with it is from a nursing perspective and its psychological impact and less social work though really I think social work is a better fit.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Balatro

[coffeekid]

BU, Vanderbilt, and Emory all have subfields in their religion PhD programs related to theology and psychology. From what I know of Vanderbilt, they may be particularly interested in your topic - I would recommend looking into those programs.

Wow, yes, very interesting stuff you're looking at here. As an insider at Vanderbilt, I'd say the Religion, Psychology, and Culture program would be of particular interest to you. The chair, Bonnie Miller-McLemore, is pretty well established in the field, and your project would surely interest her.

But I would definitely say that having and MSW would only be an asset to you in your eventual doctoral studies. Not only does that give you a clinical lens from which to draw in your theoretical writings, but in a competitive academic job market, having the means for licensed practice in therapy and case management would be a very valuable safety net. I know of at least one person who was a licensed counselor, did a PhD in psychology of religion, couldn't find a job right away, and then spent the next few years in private practice, building his CV before landing a full time TT job.

It's very good that you're thinking so conscientiously about this all. It should definitely pay off long term.

[Neem217]

Hello!

 

As you complete your MA's you will fine tune this but what perspective do you want to take? Do you want to do ethnographies? Are you into archives and textual narratives? Do you want to do constructive theology? Are you more focused on race, cultural, and critical theory? I will say that this work doesn't necessarily have to be done within a religion department. As someone mentioned, you could do anthropology, sociology, some other social science, or area studies. It really depends on what kind of work you want to do and what kind of project you envisioning this being. People will ask you what method will you employ -- so that's something to think about. Is this a religion and society project, a project on gender, race, and politics, or a project on trauma? Do you want to focus on literature or texts? Is it all of these things, and it can be....

 

Shelley Rambo at BU does work on theology and trauma. Her book, Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining, will be of interest to you. Perhaps their theology or practical theology PhD will be of interest to you. 

http://www.bu.edu/sth/profile/shelly-rambo/

 

If you are interested in race and theology, perhaps you should look at Jonathan Walton who does work in African American religious life and contemporary culture. Marla Frederick is also at Harvard. She does work in African American studies. She does ethnography and has a particular interest in the public private sphere which may be of interest to your work. I think she would be very interested in your work. 

http://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/faculty/jonathan-l-walton

http://aaas.fas.harvard.edu/directory/faculty/marla-f-frederick

 

As someone mentioned, Stacey Floyd Thomas at Vanderbilt may be a good person to connect with. 

http://divinity.vanderbilt.edu/people/bio/stacey-floyd-thomas

 

If you are interested in a liberation perspective, Union Theological Seminary may be a good place for you. They have had faced some drama earlier this year after letting go or firing? Dionne Boissière. She is a lost for them and she would have been interested in your work. But James Cone is there, though I'd imagine he's retiring soon. Like real soon. However, Cornel West may be of resource - so would being in the NYC area. Union is part of a consortium where you could take classes at NYU, Columbia, and others schools in the area. 

 

You may also look at smaller schools like Chicago Theological Seminary. Womanist theologian JoAnne Marie Terrell is there. So is Laurel C. Schneider who does stuff in race, gender, and sexuality. 

http://www.ctschicago.edu/academics/faculty-and-administration/faculty-directory#14

 

There are few PhD programs in social work. As you will notice when you take classes, many of your professors will have degrees in sociology, economics, psychology, etc., and not necessarily social work as those programs tend to be a bit  younger. Thus, if you wanted to take a clinical or psychological methodology, perhaps the social science/social work route would be better than the humanities - particularly going to a school with a great social work PhD program like U of C or Columbia, and then taking classes at either U of C's divinity school (Prof. Hopkins is there and he'd be interested in your work. He is a student of James Cone), or at Union Theological Seminary. 

 

I face this problem too and my work is very interdisciplinary. There's not one school that's a good fit mostly because you're doing something that is new and cutting edge. So, you have to kind of make a place for yourself. Some schools can handle that, and some can't, not only in terms of resources, but in terms of what they consider to be the necessary divisions between academic disciplines. That's something to keep an eye out for...

 

Anyways, I wish you the best of luck! Sorry, I typed this fast, and I apologize for the typos!

[coffeekid]

I hate to be making a case for Vanderbilt again, but because you mentioned her, Neem217: Laurel Schneider will be joing the Vanderbilt faculty in Fall 2013. Emilie Townes will also be joining as the Dean. Both of these scholars would be huge assets to the project in conversation here.

http://as.vanderbilt.edu/religiousstudies/people/schneider.php


http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/12/emilie-townes-named-dean-of-vanderbilt-divinity-school/

[Neem217]

I hate to be making a case for Vanderbilt again, but because you mentioned her, Neem217: Laurel Schneider will be joing the Vanderbilt faculty in Fall 2013. Emilie Townes will also be joining as the Dean. Both of these scholars would be huge assets to the project in conversation here.

http://as.vanderbilt.edu/religiousstudies/people/schneider.php

http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/12/emilie-townes-named-dean-of-vanderbilt-divinity-school/

 

Oh, wow. That's amazing. That's really exciting. 

[Min.Indy]

Thank you everybody for the input and suggestions!! I will definitely look into all these options!