PhD in Religion in Cambridge United States | Harvard University

Harvard provides extensive resources for religious studies, covering diverse traditions from ancient Zoroastrianism to contemporary Christian liberation movements, along with Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social activism, and Hindu artistic expressions. Our faculty employ various approaches—some focus on historical analysis, others specialize in textual scholarship or anthropological methods, though these disciplinary lines often blur. While some professors practice the religions they study, others approach them from secular perspectives. Religious studies thrives through dynamic interdisciplinary dialogues that bridge different traditions, methodologies, and intellectual perspectives. The PhD program in religious studies originated in 1934 when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences created a doctoral degree in religion's history and philosophy. As originally conceived, this program aimed to provide comprehensive training for both teaching and specialized research in religious studies. In 1963, the faculty formally renamed it the Study of Religion program. This collaborative initiative between the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Divinity School is overseen by the Committee on the Study of Religion. While students earn their PhD through GSAS, they frequently work with Divinity School faculty and take courses across both institutions.