About This Department
The Historical and Cultural Studies of Religion department concentrates on the place of religion, spirituality, and theology in society and everyday life, from ancient times to the present. Students develop broad skills in the historical, cultural, social-scientific, comparative, and interdisciplinary study of the world’s sacred and secular traditions, and they gain expertise in a specific field of concentration. Students may focus their work in a single tradition (e.g. Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism), a single time and place (e.g. medieval Europe, the contemporary Middle East), or a comparative or shared aspect of more than one tradition, time, or place.
Department Chair: Professor Kirsi Stjerna
Concentrations in this department
Core Doctoral Faculty for this Department
Founding Director, Center for Islamic Studies;
Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Anthropology
(510) 649-2562
Thomas E. Bertelsen Jr. Associate Professor of Art History and Religion
(802) 881-6593
Associate Professor of Christology and Cultures
Dwan Family Endowed Chair in Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue
(510) 549-5005
Associate Professor of American Studies, Religion, and Literature
(510) 849-8280
Dean of Students and Faculty Affairs
Rev. Yoshitaka Tamai Professor of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Studies
(510) 809-1449
Professor of Sociology and Christianity
(510) 841-9386
First Lutheran, Los Angeles/Southwest Synod Professor of Lutheran History and Theology
(510) 559-2760
Adjunct Lecturer in Christian Spirituality and Former Director Women of Wisdom and Action Initiative
Director of the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies and Senior Lecturer in Medieval Jewish Studies
(510) 649-2487
Assistant Provost
Interim Dean
Professor of the History of Christianity
(415) 451-2876
Professor Emeritus of History and Patristic Theology
(510) 883-2079
Associate Professor of American Christianity, Newbigin House of Studies
415-202-5915
Director of the Center for Dharma Studies
Associate Professor of Dharma Studies
Consortial Faculty for this Department
Professor of Liturgical Studies and Science & Theology
(510) 883-2084
Director, Center for the Arts & Religion
Senior Lecturer in Art, Anthropology, and Museum Studies
(510) 649-2471
Noboru and Yaeko Professor of Buddhist Chaplaincy
Director of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program
(510) 809-1444
President, Institute of Buddhist Studies
George and Sakaya Aratani Professor of Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies
(510) 809-1448
Lecturer in Christian Spirituality and Director of Spiritual Formation
(510) 549-5018
Director, Program in Christian Spirituality
Rice Family Professor of Spirituality
(415) 451-2867
Associate Professor of Historical and Cultural Studies; Executive Director, Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (PSR); Director, Certificate of Sexuality and Religion (PSR)
(510) 849-8278
Director, Madrasa-Midrasha Program; Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies; Women's Studies in Religion Chair