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The Religious
Studies Program
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination Reading Lists
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Examination 1:
Methodological Approaches to the Study of Religion General Description Students with Religious Studies as their Coordinating Discipline will write three exams according to the outline above. Reading lists for Examinations 1 and 2 will consist of 25 titles each, some of which are standard texts which every student reads, the remainder selected by individual students in consultation with the Religious Studies core faculty. The reading list for Examination 3 (Special Area) will consist of 25 titles, and be selected by the student in consultation with his or her dissertation committee members. Students with Religious Studies as their Co-Discipline will write Examinations 1 and 2, and should consider using the 10 additional titles contained in Examination 2 to bring their own area of interest/expertise into an interdisciplinary context and a comparative perspective. For both Coordinating and Co-Discipline students, the following guidelines apply: (a) no book may appear more than once in the examination lists; (b) students should avoid choosing more than one book by the same author; and (c) since the purpose of the examinations is to demonstrate mastery of a significant body of methodological, theoretical, and substantive material, anthologies or edited collections, general surveys, or popular introductions are to be avoided, unless it can be demonstrated that their inclusion contributes in some major way to the content of the list. Three basic texts which students should be familiar with as background are: Mircea Eliade, The Quest: History and Meaning in Religion; E.E. Evans-Pritchard, Theories of Primitive Religion; and Eric J. Sharpe, Comparative Religion: A History. For further information, students are encouraged to contact either Prof. Gary L. Ebersole. Examination 1: Methodological Approaches to the Study of Religion This examination covers representative works which have been and continue to be of theoretical and/or methodological significance in the academic study of religion.
Plus 10 works selected by the student in consultation with the Religious Studies core faculty. Examination 2: Comparative Studies of Religions of the World This examination covers works dealing with diverse religious traditions, as well as further methodological and theoretical issues as they apply to the comparative study of religion.
Plus 10 works selected by the student in consultation with the Religious Studies core faculty. Examination 3: Special Topic Area This examination covers the special topic area in which the student claims expertise. This may be organized according to the history, beliefs, and social structures of a particular religious tradition (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism), or according to the religions found in a particular geographic area (e.g., the religions of China, of Micronesia, of North America), or according to a topical area recognized in the field (e.g., Women and Religion, African American Religion; New Religious Movements). This examination is comprehensive in historical and geographical scope, and will cover the various dimensions of the religious tradition(s) chosen—the social, mythical, ritual, performative, and psychological. |