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 area of concentration allows students to explore the dynamics of religion, culture, and society with a focus on theoretical and social scientific approaches. Students will develop research topics that begin with thematic, analytical, or theoretical questions and will then apply their questions to particular religious frameworks, specific geographical areas, or the movement of ideas, people, practices, and things within and across regions. We especially welcome questions that explore interactions between religious practices, social organizations, and cultural structures. Students will develop the research methods necessary for their projects, for many, these will include ethnographic research methods including ethno-historical approaches, but for others, these may include historical, material, and literary analyses.