phd religious studies mcmaster

The Department of Religious Studies offers work leading to both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Religious Studies, i.e., the systematic study of religious phenomena.

Enquiries: 905 525-9140 Ext. 23399 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.religiousstudies.mcmaster.ca

Faculty/Fall 2023

James Benn, B.A., M.A. (Cambridge), M.A. (London), Ph.D. (U.C.L.A.) P. Travis Kroeker, B.A. (Winnipeg), M.A. (Manitoba), Ph.D. (Chicago) Liyakat Takim, B.Sc. (City), M.A. (Virginia), Ph.D. (London)

Associate Professors

Shayne Clarke , B.A., M.A. (Canterbury), Ph.D. (U.C.L.A.) Dana Hollander , B.A. (Oberlin), M.A., Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins) Zdravko Planin c , B.A., M.A. (York), A.M., Ph.D. (Harvard) Celia Rothenberg , B.A. (Wellesley College), M.A. (Oxford),Ph.D. (Toronto) Mark Rowe , B.A. (McGill), M.A., Ph.D. (Princeton) Hanna Tervanotko, Th.M., Th.D. (Helsinki) Matthew Thiessen, B.R.S. (Tynedale), M.A. (Trinity Western), M.St. (Oxford), Ph.D. (Duke)

Joint Member

Ellen Amster, B.A. (Pennsylvania), Ph.D. (Chicago)

Associate Members

Faiza Hirji , B.A. (Simon Fraser), M.A., Ph.D. (Carleton) Basit Iqbal,  B.A. (Alberta), M.A. (Toronto), Ph.D. (UC Berkely) Daniel Machiela , B.B.A. (Grand Valley), M.A. (Jerusalem), Ph.D. (Notre Dame) Dilyana Mincheva , B.A. and M.A. (Sofia), Ph.D. (Trent)

The Department offers graduate work in eight areas of study, distributed among three fields:

• East Asian Religions

Christianity in Antiquity

• Early Judaism
• Early Christianity
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Culture
• Western Religious Thought
• Islamic Studies

In order that all graduate students have the opportunity to develop both depth and breadth in their courses of study, candidates for M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are normally required to choose one major area of study and one minor area of study from the above list of seven areas.

To ensure acquaintance with the range of religious studies, and to facilitate dialogue and communication among all members of the department, all graduate students are required to have upon entry, or to acquire in the early stages of their program, some familiarity with the breadth of religious studies including both Eastern and Western religious traditions.

Upon arrival, each M.A. and Ph.D. candidate will meet with faculty members from the field in which the student’s major area of study is located (see list above), who will advise the student on choice of advisory committee members, minor area of study, course work, and other requirements.

• Religious Studies, M.A.
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Meet our Supervisors

The Department of Religious Studies is home to diverse faculty members available to supervise graduate students in a variety of specializations.

To connect with prospective supervisors, please contact the Graduate Administrative Assistant Doreen Drew .

Asian Field

Our research explores various topics across Buddhist studies and the study of East Asian Religions. Various approaches and methodologies are encouraged, including textual, literary, social historical, art historical, sociological and anthropological.

We study Buddhist literature in Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit, Pali, and Tibetan; Modern and Contemporary Buddhism in Japan; Medieval Chinese Buddhism; Buddhist thought; doctrine and practice in East Asian Buddhism.

Research covers a wide range of topics, including: Taoist canonical literature, the construction of Shinto, Chinese science, alchemy and medicine, the New Religions of Japan, the relationship of Buddhism with indigenous East Asian traditions (Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto), religion and modernity in East Asia and popular religion in East Asia as seen in literary works.

Professor, Religious Studies

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24210

Shayne Clarke

Associate Professor, Religious Studies

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 23389

Mark Rowe PhD

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 23393

Judaism & Christianity in Antiquity

We focus principally on the study of ancient Jewish texts from the Babylonian Period (586 BCE) to the early rabbinic period (200 CE) as well as the New Testament and early Christian literature. We encourage a variety of methodological approaches to these materials.

Early Judaism : Research is concentrated on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the writings of the “Apocrypha” and “Pseudepigrapha,” early Rabbinic and Greco-Roman period Jewish sources and ancient Jewish biblical interpretation.

Early Christianity : Research includes the writings included in the New Testament, particularly the gospels, Pauline literature, Hebrews and the early Greek Church Fathers.

Hanna Tervanotko

graduate-chair, Religious Studies

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24239

Matthew Thiessen

undergraduate-chair, Religious Studies

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24597

Western Field

Research in this area is sponsored in various topics across the four main fields of study: Religion & Politics, Religion & Culture, Western Religious Thought and Islamic Studies.

Religion & Politics : We study accounts of the interrelations between religion, ethics, and politics from ancient Greece to the modern West.

Western Religious Thought : Research examines philosophy of religion, theology, and ethics (Islamic, Jewish, Christian, secular) in the classical and modern periods.

Religion & Culture : Focus is primarily on the anthropology of religion. Students acquire a thorough knowledge of the historical development, contemporary theory and methodological approaches of the field.

Islamic Studies : Study Islamic texts and peoples. We also offer the opportunity to study Arabic.

Dana Hollander

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24759

Travis Kroeker

member, Institute on Globalization & the Human Condition

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 23385

Zdravko Planinc

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 23394

Celia Rothenberg PhD

chair, Religious Studies

Associate Professor, Religious Studies associate-member, Anthropology member, Institute on Globalization & the Human Condition

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24363

Liyakat Takim

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 20521

Ellen Amster PhD

associate-member, Anthropology member, Institute on Globalization & the Human Condition

[email protected]

(905) 525-9140 ext. 24144

Research in Religious Studies

We actively encourage the research interests of our students. While the faculty and areas of research expertise have changed over the years, the Department’s commitment to the open, critical, and multidisciplinary study of religion — past and present, East and West, theoretical and practical — remains passionate and strong.

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Master of Arts in Religious Studies

M.a. master of arts in religious studies.

One of the first graduate programs in Religious Studies in Canada (established in 1964), McMaster University has been a leading center for the scholarly study of religion for more than four decades. The Department has three graduate fields of study (Asian, Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity, and Western) and research is conducted in a range of topics and traditions, time periods and cultures, employing a wide variety of approaches: textual, ethnographic, historical, philosophical, theological, philological. While the faculty and areas of research expertise have changed somewhat over the years, the Department’s commitment to the open, critical, and multidisciplinary study of religion—past and present, East and West, theoretical and practical—remains passionate and strong.

New as of Fall 2023, the Department of Religious Studies is introducing a one-year MA program. This option will allow students to pursue further studies within Religious Studies beyond the BA, earn an advanced degree, and prepare students to enter into a variety of careers within a one-year timeframe. The two-year MA will continue and will allow additional time for those students who wish to pursue more in-depth research and language training, particularly for the purpose of pursuing a doctorate. Please see below Requirements and Timelines for each respective MA program.

Learn more about the specific fields of study in our Graduate Programs

Requirements and timelines.

A candidate for the M.A. degree will be required to spend at least one calendar year in full-time graduate study or the equivalent in part-time study. There are three routes to the M.A.: the thesis route, and the project route (2-year program), and the Major Research Paper route (1-year program). In consultation with a supervisor, an M.A. student must choose among these options by January 30 of the year of initial registration as a graduate student.

1-Year M.A. 

M.A. with Major Research Paper

The MRP route entails the following requirements:

• Completion of five half courses with at least B- standing;
• Completion of RELIG ST 701 Issues in the Study of Religions;
• Completion of a Major Research Paper (between 7,500 and 10,000 words). Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook.

2-Year M.A. 

M.A. with Thesis

The thesis route entails the following requirements:

• The candidate must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English which is most useful in the area in which the thesis is written. Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook. Additional languages may be required; Supervisors may recommend additional language training.
• A minimum of six half courses must be completed with at least B- standing, four half courses must be at the graduate level and must be taken in the major area of study; the other two half courses must be in the minor area of study; three of these courses should be in an area of concentration.
• The completion of RELIG ST 701 Issues in the Study of Religions;
• A thesis must be completed; the thesis should show an ability to deal with first-hand material in a limited problem in Religious Studies; the thesis must be defended in an oral examination; all M.A. degree candidates who have completed their oral defence must submit their revised thesis to both the Department and the School of Graduate Studies by the deadline dates specified for the second convocation following their defence. (Note : Text-critical studies or translation with commentary are acceptable, with the approval of the advisory/supervisory committee, as the functional equivalent of a thesis.)

M.A. with Project

The project route entails the following requirements:

• The candidate must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English appropriate to work on the project. Guidelines for fulfilling this requirement are specified in the Departmental Handbook. Additional languages may be required; Supervisors may recommend additional language training.
• Completion of six half courses as defined above.
• Completion of a project and the passing of an oral or written examination on the substance of the project. A “project” is defined by the faculty members of a departmental field. Normally a project will cover broad areas of learning. Projects will permit students to move into new areas, to read large and unfamiliar bodies of texts, and to deal comprehensively with large questions in central areas of concern.

Admissions and Applications

• The normal minimum requirement for admission to M.A. study is graduation with B+ standing (in the final two years) in an Honours programme or equivalent in Religious Studies, or in a related discipline with significant emphasis on the study of religion. Related disciplines include Anthropology, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Theology, Political Science, Classics, and Near Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian studies. Graduates with preparation in related fields may be required to take a certain amount of undergraduate work in Religious Studies.
• Admission is competitive; applicants who meet minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission.
• All applications for admission must be completed online.  Please visit the School of Graduate Studies website for detailed "HOW TO APPLY" information:

https://graduate.mcmaster.ca/academic-services/how-apply

The following items are required before your online application will be considered complete:

• Statement of Interest.  Please include in your statement of interest (500-700 words) a description of your intended area of research, as well as information on your academic background and proficiency in foreign languages, detailing the relevant courses you have taken, levels at which they were taken, and the grades that you received for them.
• Two academic references
• Official Transcripts
• English Language Proficiency
• Writing Sample (an essay or thesis chapter)

Financial Information, Scholarships and Awards

• See all awards and funding on the School of Graduate Studies website.
• BDK Canada Graduate Scholarship:  Scholarship for graduate students in Buddhist Studies to spend a year in Japan.
•  See all Religious Studies Courses

• Regular attendance of class sessions, careful preparation of readings , and regular participation in our discussions.
• One or more in-class presentation(s) designed to introduce one or more of the readings for class discussion. Preparing a presentation will typically include researching relevant background and context for that reading, beyond what will be required of other seminar participants for that week's session. I will provide details on the expectations and format for presentations, and you will receive feedback on your participation and presentation in the course of the semester, including an interim participation/presentation grade, taking account of a prior self-assessment which you will be invited to provide, the week of October 31.
• Final Paper (15-20 pages), preceded by a paper proposal (1.5-3 pages, plus bibliography, due October 28; detailed assignment to follow) on a topic chosen in consultation with, and approved by, me, due December 9.

I will be wearing a mask in our class meetings, and encourage you to wear a mask in class, labs, studios, seminars, and any crowded spaces. Wearing a mask in our shared classroom space will help to keep yourself and others healthy throughout the term in the face of COVID19 (as well as other airborne illnesses). For you, staying healthy allows you to attend classes in-person, study, complete course work, and collaborate with your peers, all of which will be key to your academic success this year. Wearing a mask in the classroom also provides increased protection to other students, instructors, and TAs, who may have elevated needs in their own health or that of their families.

• If you are feeling unwell, stay home.
• While daily COVID screening on MacCheck is not required, you must use the provincial self-assessment screening tool if you or someone you live with has symptoms or tests positive for COVID.
• What to do if you've been exposed to COVID-19

Background : Allen W. Wood, "General Introduction" to Kant, Religion and Rational Theology ; Mike Higton, "Berlin," chap. 3 of A Theology of Higher Education (2012), esp. 61-67 top.

Background : Lourens van den Bosch, "Friedrich Max Müller and the Science of Religion," chap. 5 in Religion, Theory, Critique. Classic and Contemporary Approaches and Methodologies , ed. Richard King (2017)

• Max Strassfeld, "Transing Religious Studies" (37-53)
• Melissa M. Wilcox, "Religion Is Already Transed; Religious Studies Is Not (Yet) Listening" (84-88)

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Religious Studies Programs

Learn more about our programs.

Graduate Studies

Navigating the journey: defending your phd thesis, may 15, 2024 1:00pm to 2:00pm.

Join us as we talk about the process of defending your thesis!

We cover everything from what you need to know BEFORE you initiate in Mosaic, to what happens on the day of your defence. Read more on Navigating the journey: The when and how of the PhD defence 

No registration is required.

Attend this session on Zoom

Meeting ID: 952 0648 7786

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Happy retirement to dr. kathy rudy, may 13, 2024.

Dr. Kathy Rudy has been a member of GSF at Duke (formerly known as Women’s Studies) since the 1980s. A member of the first class of Duke Women’s Studies certificate students in 1989 and the first to receive tenure in the department in 1999, Rudy has taught a wide range of topics, from Reproductive Ethics to Gender and Popular Culture. Her early research focuses on these subjects, as well as religious ethics, sexuality, feminist theory, and most saliently, reimagining animal advocacy. In her 2011 publication, Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy, one of Rudy’s many arguments is that the first step towards humanity’s necessary emotional transformation is a shift in thinking that rejects the direct application of human rights and laws to animals. Since her start at Duke in the mid-1990s, Rudy has been published countless times in books and journals arguing for a reconstitution of human-animal social relations that is nothing short of revolutionary.

Rudy’s dedication to her studies and teaching are an inspiration to all who look for a mission greater than themselves. her students have described her as:.

“…a kind and warm-hearted person…” “…a teacher that really cares about her students and wants to make a difference.” “She knows her stuff and she’s funny.” “Dr. Rudy is one of Duke’s greatest.” “She stretched my mind and the class has definitely affected my perception of who I am and the world around me.”

Thank you, Dr. Rudy, for your exemplary scholarship and unwavering dedication. We wish you the very best in your retirement.

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Joshua Perez named an Amazing Graduate of 2024

The College of Arts and Sciences celebrates the wide range of graduating students who leave their mark on the college in truly unique ways. To recognize these outstanding students for 2024, the College of Arts and Sciences asked for nominations across campus. The Department of Religious Studies nominated Joshua Perez, who was nothing short of amazing  throughout his time here.

When asked what he would carry with him into the next chapter of his life he responded:

" My time at CU was not an easy one, since I had to put myself through school by working not only through the summer, but also during the school semesters and striving through all the challenges that the world had put in front of me. 

Even though it was a difficult journey, the one thing that kept me going when challenges came my way and moments of doubt saturated my mind was curiosity that colored the world with interest and wonder. That is what I will always carry."

RLST faculty praised Joshua’s efforts as follows:

"Joshua is a double major in philosophy and religious studies. He is an amazing graduate because he is vociferously curious and intellectually daring. Not only does he stand out for his excellent participation in class discussions, but he often stayed after class and came to office hours to pose serious questions and even objections to the material. Despite having to work long hours to put himself through college, he has demonstrated a rare commitment to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, going above and beyond the assigned reading to do his own research outside of class on challenging topics. His questions, comments and written work demonstrate a higher-than-average knowledge of issues and thinkers in both Western and Eastern philosophy and religious studies. It is outstanding to be an undergraduate student who can engage with such a broad range of philosophical issues at such a deep level. We know he has a very bright future ahead!"

Follow the link below to learn more about the other amazing grads from the Class of 2024!

Amazing Grads 2024

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