2015 apps?

[Macrina]

Who's planning for applications NEXT year?

What degree?

What area?

Do you know where?

What have you already done to prepare?

What are you working on now?

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up?

Edited January 23, 2014 by Macrina

[Macrina]

What degree? PhD or ThD

What area? Historical/early church, late antique Christianity, etc

Do you know where? Not sure yet. For various reasons, Duke is my #1 choice, but I need to come up with a few more options

What have you already done to prepare? Working on writing sample (draft#1 is done), looked at the app and started thinking about what I need to do.

What are you working on now? gre prep, doing well in current courses

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Ugh. Lots. Research more places, improve languages, write gre, work on statement.

[torontonian27]

What degree?

MTS/MA 
 

What area?

Shi'ism (Islamic sect). Specifically, Shi'ism in South Asia

 

Do you know where? 

This is the trick question- there's literally been only three books on the topics. The professor I would like to work with is at the University of Toronto. The only two other options, in terms of supervision, are Princeton and Harvard.

 
What have you already done to prepare?

Working on the my statement of purpose; brainstorming writing sample ideas

 

What are you working on now?

Finalizing programs (eg MTS vs MA?); GRE prep; Reading lots and lots!!

 

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? 

Seems like everything! 

Edited January 24, 2014 by nabeeljafri

[RD_Paul]

What degree? PhD and ThD, maybe a few M*s

What area? New Testament/Early Christianity. Specifically, I'm interested in ecological/agrarian hermeneutics of the NT. 

Do you know where? Duke is my first choice. Also PTS, Notre Dame, Emory, Baylor at this point.

What have you already done to prepare? Studied languages like crazy, have a few articles accepted for publication in some really good journals

What are you working on now? MDiv at my denominational seminary, teaching Greek adjunct, presenting at conferences, working hard in my current program, helping a professor with an upcoming book on the growth of the Early Church, keeping up with other languages

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Get my GRE score up, more language, get LORs and work on my SOP!

 

Side note, does anyone have any other recommendations for possible programs/mentors that match my interests? I'd like to add a couple more to my list.

[KJSharp]

What degree? PhD and ThD, maybe a few M*s

What area? New Testament/Early Christianity. Specifically, I'm interested in ecological/agrarian hermeneutics of the NT. 

Do you know where? Duke is my first choice. Also PTS, Notre Dame, Emory, Baylor at this point.

What have you already done to prepare? Studied languages like crazy, have a few articles accepted for publication in some really good journals

What are you working on now? MDiv at my denominational seminary, teaching Greek adjunct, presenting at conferences, working hard in my current program, helping a professor with an upcoming book on the growth of the Early Church, keeping up with other languages

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Get my GRE score up, more language, get LORs and work on my SOP!

 

Side note, does anyone have any other recommendations for possible programs/mentors that match my interests? I'd like to add a couple more to my list.

 

 

Bud, I think you need to take a deep breath and relax.  You're going to be just fine.

[MBIGrad]

Who are your POIs at Duke? Clark is gone, but will vRompay be there?

[chodson]

What degree? 

MTS/MAR/MA

What area?

Broadly, ethics and moral theology in the Christian tradition. Interested in the intersection of religion, ethics, and law and public policy 

 

Do you know where?

Yale (MARc, might look to move into ethics); Harvard (though I hear they're weak in ethics); BU; BC; Notre Dame (probably apply to non-competitive MA and MTS - throw my hat in the ring there...fully funded, why not.); BC; also looking at Duke

What have you already done to prepare?

In conversation with some awesome theology faculty at Loyola MD (where I will be a senior in the fall); GRE prep (Yale does not take 'em... ok then...)

What are you working on now?

I'm a Global Studies major at Loyola - particular interest in that broad domain is the politics of Eastern Europe (Belarus, mostly)

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? 

Personal statement work; go over writing samples; ask for recommendations; and figure out the most exciting, practical, and articulate answer as to why I'd consider spending more money on studying religion at the grad-school level.

 

Other:  I did come into Loyola (where I am teetering on a 3.8) as a theology major but moved away from it to make sure I got the best of my undergraduate experience. It has become evident that theology/ethics and the likes of Timothy Jackson and Reinhold Niebuhr have become my intellectual fancies. 

 

Cheers! 

[sacklunch]

Van Rompay is teaching this next year and then he is done. He hasn't taken a student in several years because of this. Clark is also gone, as you mentioned. Apply accordingly. 

[Marcion]

What degree? 

M.A./M.T.S.
What area?

The New Testament and Christian Origins/Biblical Languages
Do you know where?

KU, Duke, Yale Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Graduate Theological Union
What have you already done to prepare?

I have been focusing my attention with my Masters of Theological Studies supervisors in making my research assignments good enough for peer review and submitting them around the place. I have also planned a campus tour at KU, and I have approached my supervisors already about letters of recommendations and such. I have also slowly started working on my Statement of Purpose during my Winter break.
What are you working on now?

Was Marcion a Gnostic?: A Study into the Relationship between Second Century Gnosticism and Marcion of Sinope & The Quest for the Mythical Jesus: A Study and Review of Richard Carrier's On the Historicity of Jesus as well as something to do with the Reception History of the Apocalypse of Paul
And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up?

I need to prepare for the GRE, start studying what they are expecting out of me and what I can expect from the test its self. Of course I need to finalise my Statement of Purpose as well. Beyond that, get my final papers in, kick ass in my final subjects, and move to America and get married to the love of my life and get my Alien Resident Number sorted!

Edited July 1, 2014 by TheResidentAlien

[awells27]

Side note, does anyone have any other recommendations for possible programs/mentors that match my interests? I'd like to add a couple more to my list.

Florida State Univ, Univ. of Virginia, Check the faculty for the religions of Western Antiquity (FSU) and Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity (UVA) and see if there is a research match.  I wish I could say that there were some higher percentage acceptance schools to apply to, but there are hardly any with good funding on the PhD level.  

 

[RD_Paul]

 

Florida State Univ, Univ. of Virginia, Check the faculty for the religions of Western Antiquity (FSU) and Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity (UVA) and see if there is a research match.  I wish I could say that there were some higher percentage acceptance schools to apply to, but there are hardly any with good funding on the PhD level.  

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. UVA looks very intriguing. 

[rlg]

Hi, all. My first time here.

 

What degree? Ph.D
What area? Ethics
Do you know where? Yes
What have you already done to prepare? Mostly been coursework up until now. GRE is done.
What are you working on now? Studying Latin; Working on two potential samples; doing the basic skeleton for my SOIs
And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Hopefully my samples will be in good shape at the end of the summer. I also need to solicit recommendations and finish the SOIs.

[Averroes MD]

Hi, all. My first time here.

 

What degree? Ph.DWhat area? EthicsDo you know where? Yes What have you already done to prepare? Mostly been coursework up until now. GRE is done.What are you working on now? Studying Latin; Working on two potential samples; doing the basic skeleton for my SOIsAnd what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Hopefully my samples will be in good shape at the end of the summer. I also need to solicit recommendations and finish the SOIs.

Is ethics under philosophy or religious studies? Which program(s)?

[RedDoor]

What degree? PhD, DPhil, or ThD
What area? New Testament
Do you know where? Oxford, Duke, Yale
What have you already done to prepare? Finished ThM, writing new proposal & writing samples
What are you working on now? Studying for GRE and modern trends in the synoptics
And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Connect with profs, beef up CV & resume, and drink away my anxiety.

 

Question for you guys. Marcus Bockmuehl was just promoted to Dean Ireland's Professor of Holy Scripture. I wanted to study directly with him and I'm wondering if this promotion will force him to take on less responsibilities with DPhil students. I'm also secretly hoping his replacement is Richard Hays so I have a better shot at working with him. I seriously doubt I can compete with you guys.

[boywholived]

It has become evident that theology/ethics and the likes of Timothy Jackson and Reinhold Niebuhr have become my intellectual fancies. 

 

Cheers! 

 

Timothy P. Jackson? Why aren't you applying at Candler?

[cadences]

What degree? PhD, DPhil, or ThD

What area? New Testament

Do you know where? Oxford, Duke, Yale

What have you already done to prepare? Finished ThM, writing new proposal & writing samples

What are you working on now? Studying for GRE and modern trends in the synoptics

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up? Connect with profs, beef up CV & resume, and drink away my anxiety.

 

Question for you guys. Marcus Bockmuehl was just promoted to Dean Ireland's Professor of Holy Scripture. I wanted to study directly with him and I'm wondering if this promotion will force him to take on less responsibilities with DPhil students. I'm also secretly hoping his replacement is Richard Hays so I have a better shot at working with him. I seriously doubt I can compete with you guys.

 

RedDoor,

 

The best person to ask would be Bockmuehl himself, actually. It's quite standard in the UK fo potential supervisors to be contacted by prospective students to see if they are available for supervision; besides, in the UK, I believe the one who ultimately decides how many doctoral students he or she will be taking on for each year is the professor himself or herself. So, do drop Bockmuehl an email and see what happens from there. Good luck! I hope it works out!

[chodson]

Timothy P. Jackson? Why aren't you applying at Candler?

 

Yes - I think I ought to. They seem to have others, too, who are decent in ethics. Kind of initially turned off by the location. 

[boywholived]

Yes - I think I ought to. They seem to have others, too, who are decent in ethics. Kind of initially turned off by the location. 

 

They do, and I would definitely consider them. Cost of living in Atlanta/Decatur is way less than any of the other areas on your list, so if you're trying to limit the debt you incur during your M* degree, it is an excellent option.

 

If you have more questions about Candler/Emory, feel free to PM me. I'm not an ethicist, but I did spend 2 years there, and can offer feedback on the program and faculty if you need it.

[pcato1]

What degree? 

PhD, MA
 

What area? 

Philosophy of Religion, Religious Thought, Interdisciplinary Programs
 

Do you know where? 

UChicago (MA), Brown, Stanford (Modern Thought & Literature - Potentially Religion), Princeton, Emory, UVA, Yale, Columbia, BU, Northwestern, Berkeley (Rhetoric), UC Santa Cruz (History of Consciousness), UCSB
 

What have you already done to prepare? 

CV, Identified Recommenders, survived undergrad

 

What are you working on now? 

Preparing for the GRE; Reducing my Senior Thesis into a readable writing sample; stressing over my statement of purpose

 

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up?

Identify programs truly amenable to interdisciplinary work (I could really use help on this one!!)

 

--

 

Ideally I'd like to find a program that would support an interdisciplinary study of concepts of human interrelatedness (especially those involving notions of care, love, and regard). Dostoevsky came up with a highly original philosophy of ethical love/regard and aspects of that theory have been picked up by a wide variety of thinkers since his death (Baldwin, Sartre, Levinas, Camus, Wright, etc.) and I'd like to study this tradition and some of its implications (Judith Butler did something similar with Hegel on her dissertation and first book, Subjects of Desire). Obviously I know my interests will change/adapt but religion on the undergraduate level allowed me to approach such an interdisciplinary topic and I appreciate its methodologies, I just worry about finding a similar program as a graduate student.

[marXian]

What degree? 

PhD, MA

 

What area? 

Philosophy of Religion, Religious Thought, Interdisciplinary Programs

 

Do you know where? 

UChicago (MA), Brown, Stanford (Modern Thought & Literature - Potentially Religion), Princeton, Emory, UVA, Yale, Columbia, BU, Northwestern, Berkeley (Rhetoric), UC Santa Cruz (History of Consciousness), UCSB

 

What have you already done to prepare? 

CV, Identified Recommenders, survived undergrad

 

What are you working on now? 

Preparing for the GRE; Reducing my Senior Thesis into a readable writing sample; stressing over my statement of purpose

 

And what else do you need to do between now and September when the application cycles actually open up?

Identify programs truly amenable to interdisciplinary work (I could really use help on this one!!)

 

--

 

Ideally I'd like to find a program that would support an interdisciplinary study of concepts of human interrelatedness (especially those involving notions of care, love, and regard). Dostoevsky came up with a highly original philosophy of ethical love/regard and aspects of that theory have been picked up by a wide variety of thinkers since his death (Baldwin, Sartre, Levinas, Camus, Wright, etc.) and I'd like to study this tradition and some of its implications (Judith Butler did something similar with Hegel on her dissertation and first book, Subjects of Desire). Obviously I know my interests will change/adapt but religion on the undergraduate level allowed me to approach such an interdisciplinary topic and I appreciate its methodologies, I just worry about finding a similar program as a graduate student.

 

Here are a couple thoughts. Religious Studies is arguably the most interdisciplinary of the humanities disciplines, especially at an institution that really values interdisciplinary work overall. That said, I'd recommend starting to think about narrowing down your list of authors of interest to at least one continent and eventually down to probably one or two primary people--the exception being that MTL at Stanford and History of Consciousness are pretty open to just about anything as long as it seems like an interesting, highly interdisciplinary project. That doesn't mean, however, that you won't be able to read and study other people--just that dissertations are super narrow and any adviser no matter where you land would probably tell you covering 6+ figures in one dissertation is far too many. For example, I have an interdisciplinary background (BA, MA English, MA Theology), so I have a great interest in French philosophy and Kurt Vonnegut. I suspect I'll probably be able to utilize those someday in my work, but for right now, I'm focused on German theology/philosophy, and the early 20th century in particular. So there are lots of things I'm expected to know about the history of theology, broadly speaking, the thought of particular German figures from Kant to Tillich, but I'm focused in particular on two figures at the turn of the 20th century when I talk to anyone about my dissertation. NU, btw, has been a fantastic place to be to study German philosophy/theology and critical theory. My adviser has been extremely supportive of everything I've wanted to explore, the papers I've wanted to propose, etc. 

 

All the programs you list would be really great for interdisciplinary work, I think. It's just a matter of articulating the right project at a good level of specificity (don't think of it as the thesis statement of you dissertation or anything like that.) If you PM me I can give you some more specifics on NU.