Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Claremont School of Theology offers two Ph.D. programs with multiple concentration in each:
Ph.D. in Practical Theology
Ph.D. in Religion *
* Current CGU students can transfer into these programs immediately, beginning with the fall 2009 semester. Click here for details.
** Claremont Graduate University (CGU) has suspended these doctoral programs and continue to offer Ph.D. programs in other fields of religious and theological studies.
Ph.D. in Practical Theology
The Ph.D. in Practical Theology program has long been a pioneer in the fields of Religious Education and Spiritual Care and Counseling. This 48-unit program is a theological, research, and professional degree that prepares students for research and teaching in higher education, as well as professional leadership in religious traditions and society. The program
prepares students for the competent scholarly development of a special field of study in the context of theological disciplines. Students will engage the methodological and epistemological presuppositions of the field of concentration and will be capable of advancing the field through original research. The degree program emphasizes professional applicability of the field of research by correlating theoretical and practical knowing, by implementing critical reflection on professional theory and practices, and by engaging theological and empirical methods of scholarship.
Religious Education
The Religious Education concentration integrates theological disciplines with educational theory and practice. Students develop advanced competence in theoretical construction, educational practice, and at least one research methodology, usually from the social sciences. Students also take courses in a non-theological cognate field, usually taken at Claremont Graduate University, and are required to complete a semester-long internship usually related to the student's social context for research. the program is distinct in its awareness of multi-religious education and the roles of spirituality in social transformation.
Lead Faculty
- Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook
- Frank Rogers, Jr.
- A position in Interreligious Education is currently under search for a new scholar to begin in fall 2010
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
Spiritual Care and Counseling (SCPC)
The Spiritual Care and Counseling concentration is designed for advanced training in research and theory construction at the intersections of the behavioral sciences, counseling, psychology, and theology. In addition, students prepare for practical, specialized work in counseling, clinical pastoral education, or clinical spiritual care in dialogue with research and theory building. The program is distinct in its focus on clinical experience, available to students through The Clinebell Center, located on the School's campus. Students select one of three tracks: (1) Clinical Spiritual Care, (2) ACPE Supervision, or (3) Pastoral Psychotherapy.
Lead Faculty
- Duane Bidwell
- Kathleen J. Greider
- K. Samuel Lee
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
Ph.D. in Religion
Claremont enjoys a long and distinguished history of advanced scholarship in biblical, ethical, theological and cultural studies. The new Ph.D. in Religion at Claremont School of Theology builds on this history and prepares students for research and teaching in higher education, as well as community service and leadership in a variety of contexts. Across the various concentrations, the program stresses engagement in interreligious and intercultural reflection, dialogue, and social transformation. Students can select one of four concentrations.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible (HB) concentration provides advanced training in the critical interpretation of the Hebrew Bible for students preparing for research and teaching in institutions of higher education, religious and community service, and other relevant contexts.
The Ph.D. program in Hebrew Bible requires rigorous training in the ancient biblical languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; additional ancient Near Eastern languages, such as Akkadian, Ugaritic, and Syriac; modern research languages, including German and French; and in the historical-critical, literary-critical, social-scientific, and critical theological methods necessary for biblical interpretation. Training in the program presumes competence in the broader fields of religious and theological study, including the study of world religions, theology and philosophy of religion, ethics and society, and religion and culture.
Students concentrate in one of three areas: (1) Literary-Critical and Theological Study of the Hebrew Bible; (2) Ancient Near Eastern Studies; or (3) Second Temple Studies.
Lead Faculty
- Carleen Mandolfo (beginning Fall 2010)
- Tammi J. Schneider
- Marvin A. Sweeney
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
New Testament and Christian Origins
The concentration in New Testament and Christian Origins (NT) provides advanced training in the critical interpretation of ancient
Christian texts for students preparing for research and teaching in institutions of
higher education, religious and community service, and other relevant contexts. The
program focuses on the New Testament and related literatures in the context of post-biblical Judaism; classical Greek and Hellenistic literature, religion and philosophy; and the cultures of the early Roman Empire.
Students will be exposed to the standard methodologies of the discipline (historical criticism, literary criticism, social-scientific criticism) with special attention to the history of religion and comparative literary criticism (mimesis).
Lead Faculty
- Lincoln E. Galloway
- Dennis R. MacDonald
- Gregory J. Riley
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
Process Studies
The Process Studies concentration explores the range of methods, themes and applications of process thought with special attention to Alfred North Whitehead’s “philosophy of organism.” This program focuses on process thought as a major approach to the study of ecology, culture and religion today. Students will develop competencies in process philosophy, religion and science, constructive theology, comparative religious studies, postmodern/poststructuralist studies, and Western and non-Western theologies and philosophies. Graduates of the program will learn to formulate a pluralistic and differentiated worldview appropriate to our contemporary societies and be capable of contributing to transformation.
Lead Faculty
- Philip Clayton
- Monica A. Coleman
- Roland Faber
- Susan L. Nelson
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
Religion, Ethics and Society
The Religion, Ethics, and Society (RES) concentration focuses on the intersection of the religious, the ethical, and the political. Viewing religion as both a source and subject for ethical reflection, students examine public spaces and the people who interact there as they engage pressing social, economic, and political questions. Students will acquire dialogic competencies, deeper knowledge of religious traditions other than their own, resources for philosophical and theological reflection, a facility with a variety of methods for moral deliberation, and the critical tools for analysis and argumentation required to contribute to thoughtful, publicly defensible ethical assessment.
Lead Faculty
- Richard Amesbury
- Grace Yia-Hei Kao
- Helene Slessarev-Jamir
For complete details about this program, view the easy-to-use 2009-2010 Catalog.
