We have good news regarding one of our most successful program, the New Directions in Theology Grants. BCSR recently received an extension of funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, which supports the Berkeley Public Theology Program, and will be able to continue the New Directions program for another year.
New Directions in Theology grantees participate in a cohort of students from diverse disciplines to explore the place of theology in scholarship and public life. Led by two BCSR faculty members, students will meet biweekly to read fundamental works in the study of religion, explore potential research topics, and meet Berkeley and visiting faculty working in the field. The seminar will encompass a wide variety of religious traditions and approaches which may include theology and the institutions of secular life; theological aspects of politics; theology and law; art, literature, and theological inquiry; theology and social formations, and so on. Grantees will receive intellectual guidance on research projects and contribute to the building of a unified community of inquiry on the Berkeley campus in public theology.
The important details of the New Directions application and program are below. Please note that some program guidelines have changed.
- All graduate students are eligible, including prior participants and students at all stages of the graduate career.
- Student participants will receive a stipend of $5000, payable in a lump sum in early fall 2019.
- The selected cohort (eight students) will convene with faculty members for bi-weekly evening meetings throughout the 2019-20 academic year.
- New Directions applications must include:
- a CV
- a one-page statement of purpose or dissertation precis
- a brief writing sample
- an email recommendation from either a BCSR affiliated faculty member or a graduate student advisor (sent under separate cover directly to info.bcsr@berkeley.edu)
- Applications should be sent to info.bcsr@berkeley.edu by June 28. Selected candidates will be notified by July 10.
For more information about the program or questions about the nomination process, please contact info.bcsr@berkeley.edu.