Anthropology of Religion at UCSD

Program Description

Understanding the place of religion in human life has been a central concern of anthropology ever since the beginning of the discipline. It remains a central commitment of the anthropology faculty at UCSD and cross-cuts various sub-fields of the discipline.

Through their research and publications, the faculty have made significant contributions to the understanding of religion, and it is the exceptional strength of the faculty that make the department a leading center for the anthropological study of religion. As such, the department provides exceptional opportunities for graduate students to work closely with leading scholars to develop their own research projects.

A key strength of the department is the sheer range of faculty interest in the anthropology of religion. There are faculty who work with Hinduism and Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Afro- and Indo-Caribbean religions, Chinese popular religion, Melanesian religions, new religions, and prehistoric religions. In general, cultural anthropologists at UCSD explore the way religion is practiced in social and cultural context, using ethnographic fieldwork to examine the religious life of ordinary people.

Religion is also important in the work of the archaeology faculty at UCSD, who study the material correlates of ancient religion and ritual to explore the role of religion in shaping culture change and social identity.

Anthropologists at UCSD take a variety of theoretical perspectives on religion, using ethnographic and archeological methods to explore the social, psychological, cultural and political dimensions of religious life. Many members of the faculty have special expertise in central topics in the anthropology of religion, including such key subjects as ritual, symbolism, conversion, religious syncretism, millenarianism, and social change.

The faculty also engages current issues and controversies in anthropology from the perspective of the anthropology of religion, including the study of religion in relationship to globalization, national identity, gender, morality, and conceptions of the natural environment.

Connections and Special Resources

Religion and modernity.

Those interested in the relationship of religion to modernity, the nation-state, or globalization, may find that the interdisciplinary Anthropology of Modern Society project, devoted to such issues, would support and enhance their research interests.

Religion and psychology.

The department is a major center for the field of psychological anthropology and a number of the faculty have an interest in psychological aspects of ritual and religion. This creates unique opportunities for students interested in integrating social, cultural, and psychological perspectives on religion. For more information, see the psychological anthropology page.

Melanesian religions.

For those with an interest in the religions of Melanesia, the department cooperates with the university library in maintaining the Melanesian Archives, which can be used to prepare for fieldwork as well as to conduct historical research. More information is available on the Melanesia Collection web site.

Judaic Studies program.

The program is interdisciplinary, offering undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations in Judaic studies that draw upon a variety of perspectives, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in association with the Departments of History and Anthropology. Full-year education abroad programs and a summer archaeology program provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to study in Israel and Jordan. More information is available on the Judaic Studies web site.

Archaeology.

Through large scale excavations at the formative Chalcolithic (ca. 4500 - 3600 BCE) ritual center at Gilat in southern Israel, UCSD archaeologists are exploring the role of regional cults in helping to stimulate, maintain, and alter cultural evolution when the first chiefdoms emerged in the southern Levant. UCSD's recent surveys and excavations of mortuary sites in southern Jordan provide another exciting avenue of research in the anthropology of religion. For more information, see the Anthropological Archaeology page.

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