Programs where Religious Studies is more like a social science?

[FentonForche]

Hey all, I posted a similar message in the sociology section, but thought it would be good to query you guys as well

Here's my situation. I did an MA in poli sci, informally focusing on religion and politics (BA in philosophy and poli sci). I'm looking at going back to finish my PhD, but I'm considering disciplines outside poli sci (namely religious studies and sociology) since religion is really at the nexus of what interests me. I'm exploring departments now, and am trying to locate schools were students can really approach religious studies from more of a social sciences angle.

So far, three that look really promising are UC-Santa Barbara, North Carolina, and Northwestern (where it appears religious studies phd students can actually cross train in a related department).

Are there any other places you might recommend? Thanks!

[redreverend]

Most of the secular schools like Florida State, Virginia, Stanford, Columbia etc would have programs that study religion scientifically

[peppermint.beatnik]

University of Florida good for ss. Syracuse; Columbia; UNC; Indiana.

UCSB is great, but maybe only if you're a resident of California (re: funding)

In Canada-McMaster has a Religion and Politics sub-field.

You can do a program search on the AAR site (American Academy of Religion)

[jacib]

Hey all, I posted a similar message in the sociology section, but thought it would be good to query you guys as well

Here's my situation. I did an MA in poli sci, informally focusing on religion and politics (BA in philosophy and poli sci). I'm looking at going back to finish my PhD, but I'm considering disciplines outside poli sci (namely religious studies and sociology) since religion is really at the nexus of what interests me. I'm exploring departments now, and am trying to locate schools were students can really approach religious studies from more of a social sciences angle.

So far, three that look really promising are UC-Santa Barbara, North Carolina, and Northwestern (where it appears religious studies phd students can actually cross train in a related department).

Are there any other places you might recommend? Thanks!

Since Religious Studies is already interdisciplinary, there are plenty of schools where one can do this. UCSB comes to mind first. There are some really really cool people at Northwestern (Robert Orsi especially). Chicago has some people too (if you're into religion and politics, Martin Marty is obviously there, but I think he's retired... oh well, Marty Center still exists, and Omar McRoberts is no social science slouch... he does a lot for the SSSR). Actually I'd check out the SSSR website. Toronto has bunches of cool people. Alabama is TINY but if your interests match with the people there, I have a feeling they'd let you be interdisciplinary, I really respect a lot of those guys. Again, I had to cross out so many schools because they were too Christian based, but U.Va. might be a good place to look (both in Religion and Sociology), Princeton too. If your project is about, say, Christianity and Law in America, there is a-whole-nother batch of places to apply to, and while I know people are working on that, who doesn't spring very quickly to mind.

Additionally, there are very tracks which are more "social science-y": Duke has a "Religion and Modernity", Harvard (if you already have a masters) has "Religion and Society", BU has "Religion and Society", Princeton has "Religion, Ethics and Politics", and I'm sure there are others.