Religion
Welcome to the Religion Department
Thank you for your interest in Claremont Graduate University’s master’s and PhD programs in Religion. Our distinct programs in Religion, coupled with Claremont Graduate University’s unique, intimate campus climate, create a graduate study environment unlike any other in which you can customize your degree track to meet your own scholastic and professional goals.
In CGU’s Religion programs, you are the focus of how we teach and mentor. As a student at a graduate-only institution, you will not compete with undergraduates for the attention and advice of your professors. Our faculty are leading thinkers in their respective fields, and we work closely with you from the moment of your arrival until the completion of your degree.
Our master’s programs include our boutique program, the MA in Islamic Studies, and our flexible MA in Religion (general). Both programs prepare you for a variety of careers, from government and nongovernmental organizations to international corporations and business.
Our flagship doctoral degree—with concentrations in Philosophy of Religion & Theology, Women’s & Gender Studies in Religion, History of Christianity & Religions of North America, and Critical Comparative Scriptures—positions graduates for successful careers in academia or other higher education endeavors. CGU Religion students may also craft interfield tracks of study or dual-degree programs.
As a member of the highly ranked Claremont Colleges, we offer students the opportunity to take courses across colleges and collaborate with extended faculty at each college. The prestigious Claremont School of Theology is just around the corner, offering additional opportunities for research and practice in religious studies.
Claremont Graduate University’s prime location in the Los Angeles basin offers tremendous opportunities for study, fieldwork, and employment in the local metropolitan area and beyond. The gateway to the Americas, Los Angeles extends your career horizons into Latin America and the Pacific Rim. Finally, the religious and cultural pluralism and diversity of Los Angeles, amid a beautiful setting of temperate weather, will enrich your graduate experience in ways you can only begin to imagine.
If you are interested in learning more about our programs, I would be happy to schedule an appointment to meet with you or to speak by phone. Thank you for considering Claremont Graduate University.
Nicola Denzey Lewis
Chair, Religion Department
School of Arts & Humanities
Claremont Graduate University
nicola.denzey-lewis@cgu.edu
831 N. Dartmouth Avenue • Claremont, CA 91711 • 909-621-8612 • Fax 909-607-9587
Nicola Denzey Lewis
Margo L. Goldsmith Chair in Women’s Studies in Religion
Chair, Religion Department
Programs
Core Faculty
Matthew Bowman
Associate Professor of Religion and History
Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies
Nicola Denzey Lewis
Margo L. Goldsmith Chair in Women’s Studies in Religion
Chair, Religion Department
Lori Anne Ferrell
Dean, School of Arts & Humanities
John D. and Lillian Maguire Distinguished Professor in the Humanities
Director, Early Modern Studies Program
Director, Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards
Extended Faculty
Ahmed Alwishah
Pitzer College
Research Interests
Islamic philosophy, Medieval philosophy, Philosophy of religion, Islamic theology
Myriam Chancy
Scripps College
Research Interests
African diaspora with specialization in its literature
Stephen T. Davis
Claremont McKenna College
Research Interests
Analytic theology, Christian thought, Metaphysics, Philosophy of religion
Lara Deeb
Scripps College
Research Interests
Politics of knowledge production, Gender and sexuality, Islam, Transnational feminism, The Middle East, especially Lebanon
Andrew Dreitcer
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Contemplative practices across religious traditions, Spiritual practices and neuro-scientific understandings, Contemplative practices and compassion, Christianity and engaged compassion
Erika Dyson
Harvey Mudd College
Research Interests
Activism and religion, American religious history, Church and state, Occult religions, Religion and science
Gastón Espinosa
Claremont McKenna College
Research Interests
American religion & politics; Latino religions; Latino religions & politics; Pentecostal, charismatic, & liberation movements; Religion and the American presidency; Religion in the United States
Roland Faber
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Process philosophy and process theology; (De)Constructive theology; Poststructuralism; Transreligious discourse and interreligious applications; Comparative philosophy and mysticism; Theopoetics; Third space approach to post-structuralist and process theology; Logics of multiplicity; Comparative Baha’i Studies
Gary Gilbert
Claremont McKenna College
Research Interests
Bible, Christian-Jewish relations, Israel, Jesus, Jewish/Christian relations, Judaism, New Testament
Grace Yia-Hei Kao
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Rights, human and animal; Religion in the public sphere in the U.S.; Ecofeminism; Asian American Christianity
Zayn Kassam
Pomona College
Research Interests
Islamic studies, Religious studies, Women and Islam, Islamic philosophy and mysticism, Religion and the environment
Bishop Kyrillos
St. Athanasius & St Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School
Research Interests
Coptic Studies
Dennis MacDonald
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Christian apocryphal writings, the Synoptic Problem, Classical Greek literature’s influence on Jewish and Christian narratives
Tom Phillips
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Luke-Acts in the New Testament
Frank Rogers
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Spiritual formation that is contemplative, creative, and socially liberative
Helene Slessarev-Jamir
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Religiously inspired justice work in response to globalization and American empire, Contemporary progressive prophetic activism
Marvin Sweeney
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Hebrew Bible studies, Prophetic literature, Biblical theology, Literary-critical methodologies, Ancient exegesis of biblical texts, Interrelationship between religion and politics in both the ancient and modern worlds
Najeeba Syeed
Claremont School of Theology
Research Interests
Peacebuilding, Mediation between law enforcement and communities, Intersections of law with religious minority communities, Interfaith just peacemaking
Philip Zuckerman
Pitzer College
Research Interests
Secularity, Atheism, Apostasy, and Scandinavian culture
Research Centers
Coptic Studies Council
CGU’s Council for Coptic Studies works to create and nourish vibrant, enduring relationships between the Religion Department, the surrounding community, and the Coptic world and to promote through research, teaching, and publication a deeper understanding of the Coptic religious experience.
Mormon Studies Council
The Mormon Studies Council works closely with the Religion Department and School of Arts and Humanities to advance Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. The Council seeks to foster interest in the study of the traditions descended from Joseph Smith in an academic context in which many religious traditions are studied alongside one another.
Zoroastrian Studies Council
The Zoroastrian Studies Council seeks to bring knowledge of this ancient, yet modern religion to our students and inform the study of religion at CGU.
Research Projects
Mormon Women’s Oral History Project
The Mormon Women’s Oral History Project at Claremont Graduate University collected interviews with Mormon women of various ages, experiences, and levels of activity. These interviews record the experiences of these women in their homes and family life, their church life, and their work life, in their roles as homemakers, students, missionaries, career women, single women, converts, and disaffected members. Their stories feed into and illuminate the broader narrative of LDS history and belief, filling in a large gap in Mormon history that has often neglected the lived experiences of women.
Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia
The web-based Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia (CCE) is a project of global reach and significance, providing a vital resource and a wealth of information to scholars, students, Coptophiles, and the general public. Whether you are a PhD student writing a dissertation on Coptic monasticism, a college student taking a course in Art History, or a casual browser seeking intellectual nourishment, you will find the CCE to be an excellent resource.