Religion Phd and Alternate Careers

[UndergradDad]

Hello,

My son is majoring in philosophy but has a special interest in Kierkegaard. My understanding is that many if not most Kierkegaard scholars reside in the Religion not Philosophy depts of universities. If he ends up with a Religion Phd, are there any alt-ac careers available other than as a pastor or priest etc? I have read about philosophy Phds who have ended up in government or publishing or nonprofit positions but didn't know if the same applied to religion Phds, should they not be able to land an academic position.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

[marXian]

It's possible to study Kierkegaard in either a philosophy or religious studies department. The philosophy route, however, would require application to a limited number of programs since there would have to be an actual Kierkegaard scholar, or at least someone with a strong secondary interest in Kierkegaard, in the department in order to be accepted. That's not necessarily the case with religious studies, which is more interdisciplinary. If the proposed project is really strong and there are faculty with expertise in 19th century philosophy/theology more generally, they might take on a student working on Kierkegaard even if that's not their main area of expertise. This site hasn't been updated in a few years for some reason, but it's more or less (for better or worse) the definitive ranking of philosophy departments: http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/ Your son can figure out who the leading people on Kierkegaard are and more generally which departments specialize in continental philosophy (to which K belongs).

Regarding jobs, religion PhDs typically don't land government jobs unless their expertise is in religion and politics (broadly) or Islam. I also study 19th/20th century European (German) philosophy and theology and I have no illusions that I'll be finding a government job if academia doesn't work out. There are a lot of resources at universities for non-academic careers. That is a growing concern and many schools have started developing that part of their career center to better serve PhD students who are leaving academia. Publishing is most people's first thought, and it's definitely an option. There are also consulting firms that help businesses solve conceptual problems related to how people think, which humanities PhDs are equipped to solve. For example, this company sent a representative to my university to give a presentation to late-stage PhD students: http://www.redassociates.com/ Not all humanities PhD students would be jumping at the chance to do something like that, but if academia ceased to be an option, I would consider it.

I'm going to tread very lightly here, but I think this ought to be said. Whether or not to pursue a PhD is something only the person interested in pursuing it can decide. My father is an engineer. He didn't want me to follow in his footsteps necessarily, but it certainly took him some time to understand and accept that one of his sons was choosing to be in school 10 years beyond finishing his bachelor's degree (I completed two MAs before starting my PhD--certainly not a requirement!) Neither of my parents understand the research/writing that I do, but they do understand why I'm doing it, and that, to me, is most important.

Your son ought to be talking to people who are in PhD programs (not professors) to try to find out what it's like and whether or not it's for him. Everyone on this forum already in a program would tell him that if he can imagine himself doing something else, he should go do that instead. People who are only halfway invested in PhD level graduate work do not finish their programs. You have to be all in emotionally and mentally.

[UndergradDad]

Thanks for your comments Marxian. Your reply was very helpful.

I understand your concern about being involved in my son's decision to go to graduate school. To answer that point, I'm not deciding anything for my son. I have told him if he wants to pursue a Phd that I support him 100%. For my part, my desire that he have a plan B will not result in my interfering with his studies. I am looking into this on my own as his father, not telling him he won't become an academic so he'd better look for something else.

Thank you for the suggestions of possible options outside of the academic field. Those are avenues I will keep in mind should the need arise (hopefully not).

Regarding your final comment, I like the idea of talking with current Phd students to find out what it's like- I will bring that up to him.

My best to you in your academic career.