The graduate program in Religious Studies at the University of Texas is dedicated to the study of religious phenomena within particular cultural and historical contexts. At the same time, we expect research to be driven by theoretical and analytical questions and to employ the methodologies that facilitate them. Although the research agendas of our students need not be explicitly comparative, we recognize that comparison lies at the heart of our discipline and informs our theories and questions. As a result, we expect all of our students to be able to articulate comparisons across traditions, cultures, or regions, to develop knowledge of relevant theories, and to demonstrate a deep understanding of the specific social and historical contexts in which their research questions are embedded. This includes fluency in relevant languages as well as facility in at least two methodological approaches. We encourage our students to draw upon the vast theoretical, historical, and linguistic resources available in our department and throughout the rest of the University of Texas.<br>This concentration area deals with the character and interactions of the late ancient religious traditions of the Mediterranean, including the New Testament, Early Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, Hellenistic Judaism, and Greco-Roman culture. Students will develop primary expertise in one of the major fields listed below, and they will also do significant work in two of the others as supporting fields. There will be a strong emphasis on mastery of the requisite languages, developing appropriate theory and method, and developing connections with the broader study of religion. In addition to the relevant literatures and their historical contexts, students can receive training in archaeology and in text-criticism. The chronological span is from the Ancient Near Eastern to the Hellenistic period and from the Hellenistic-Roman to the Late Antique period. Graduates will be prepared for Religious Studies appointments that involve research and teaching in the major fields listed below.