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Religion

The faculty of the Department of Religion at Claremont Graduate University stand in solidarity with those who protest police brutality. We stand in solidarity with the calls for police reforms and demilitarization of the police, and with those who demand justice for Black lives. Black lives matter, today and every day.

As philosophers, theologians, historians, and cultural interpreters, we recognize and decry the grave injustices perpetrated against people of color in this country. Recent events are a poignant reminder to us that too many of our fellow citizens are neither seen nor heard, and we commit to doing a better job—in our scholarship as well as in our teaching—of recognizing and calling out systemic injustices. That commitment includes pursuing the transformation in our society and culture at all levels—systemic and otherwise. We must, and shall, change unspoken “ground rules” and speak “truth to power.”

President Trump demeaned the faith and practice of an Episcopal congregation when he harmed the bodies of protestors brazenly cleared from his path in pursuit of a recent photo opportunity. As scholars of religion, we are attentive to the ways religious traditions are experienced by those who embrace them, and therefore, we support the clergy and congregants of St John’s Episcopal Church whose community the president flagrantly disrespected.

Religion Department, Claremont Graduate University
Chair: Tammi Schneider
831 N. Dartmouth Avenue • Claremont, CA 91711 • 909-621-8612 • Fax 909-607-9587

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.

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.

Tammi Schneider
Chair, Religion Department
School of Arts & Humanities
Claremont Graduate University
tammi.schneider@cgu.edu

831 N. Dartmouth Avenue • Claremont, CA 91711 • 909-621-8612 • Fax 909-607-9587

Tammi J. Schneider

Danforth Professor of Religion
Chair, Religion Department

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Programs

Islamic Studies

MA in Islamic Studies

Religion

MA in Religion

Religion

PhD in Religion

Women’s & Gender Studies in Religion

MA in Women's & Gender Studies in Religion

Religion & American Politics

Associate Professor of Religion

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Tammi J. Schneider

Danforth Professor of Religion
Chair, Religion Department

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Kevin Wolfe

Assistant Professor of Religion

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Emeriti Faculty

Ingolf Dalferth

Professor of Religion
Professor Emeritus

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Gawdat Gabra

Clinical Professor of Coptic Studies
Professor Emeritus

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Karen Jo Torjesen

Secularity, Atheism, Apostasy, and Scandinavian culture

Hebrew Bible studies with a particular focus on prophetic literature, biblical theology, literary-critical methodologies, ancient exegesis of biblical texts, and the interrelationship between religion and politics in both the ancient and modern worlds

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Research Centers

Coptic Studies Council

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.