Christianity & Judaism in Antiquity
The program in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity (CJA) includes four disciplines:
- the Hebrew scriptures
- Judaism, especially Second Temple and early Rabbinic Judaism
- the New Testament and Greco-Roman world
- other Christian sources to the early medieval period
These are frequently studied in isolation from one another. In CJA, they are studied together for their mutually illuminating interrelationships. At the same time, the integrity of each discipline is respected. Judaism is explored in its own right as well as in its relationship to Christianity. Christianity is explored by itself as well as in its dependence upon Judaism and its conscious, emerging distinction from Judaism.
In the CJA program, the scriptures are seen as expressions of faith—products of the fertile literary, historical, and theological continuum which stretches from before the Babylonian Exile to the beginning of the Middle Ages. This period witnessed the gradual written composition of the Hebrew scriptures and the many facets of Judaism: Hellenistic, apocalyptic, messianic, and rabbinic. It witnessed the gradual written formulation of the New Testament, as well as the ecclesiastical and intellectual history of Christianity in dialogue with Judaism and the Greco-Roman world.
Surrounding the writings that eventually came to form the Jewish and Christian canons was a wealth of other religious and cultural literature (which this program takes seriously and which is valuable for its own sake). The literature greatly illumines the scriptural writings by portraying the world which gave birth to them and helps us understand the subsequent interpretations and elaborations of them given by the Jewish and Christian communities in the Mishna, Talmud, and Patristic literature.
Within this broad spectrum students major in either Hebrew Bible and Judaism or New Testament and early church, but a general knowledge of the whole area is to be included in their course work. Students are also immersed in the methods appropriate to study of the Near East and Greco-Roman world, and the historical and linguistic skills required to engage in this study are provided. Since the program is done in the broader context of a department of theology, course work outside the area is also required.
How to Apply
Notre Dame uses an online application. For instructions please consult the Application Instructions link from within the application itself once you have received your PIN and logged in.
Requirements for Admission
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a master's degree in theology, or the equivalent
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, with an expectation of at least 4.5 on the analytical section and 310 cumulative on the other two sections (1200 for GRE exams prior to 8/2011), the score for the verbal component being the more important of the two
Facility in some of the languages required for study in the department
Application Documents
The following materials must be submitted via the online application system:
- A statement of intent (300 to 600 words) and a C.V.
- Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended • GRE scores (and, for all nonnative speakers of English, TOEFL scores)
- Three letters of recommendation
- A Waiver of Access form for each letter of recommendation
- A Writing Sample with a recommended length of 4,000 to 6,000 words
Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships
Full-time students in good standing are eligible to receive a 12-month annual stipend (an amount of $23,000 for students starting in 2018-2019) for up to five years and a full-tuition scholarship for up to eight years.
5 + 1 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Students who complete the program in five years are eligible for a one-year teaching postdoctoral fellowship at Notre Dame.
Premier Fellowships
The Graduate School awards premier fellowships on a competitive basis. These fellowships provide full tuition, an increased stipend, and full coverage of the university's health insurance premium. For more information see the Graduate School website.
In cases where students are funded by an extramural source (e.g., a religious order), the University normally covers tuition costs.
More Details
Students are not responsible for any service to the Department during their first and fourth years.
During their second and third years, graduate students are assigned to a member of the faculty as Graduate Assistants (c. twelve hours per week during the academic year).
In their fifth year, students teach two independent courses (one of which may be deferred to a sixth year).
The Department provides travel grants for students to present papers at conferences, network with colleagues, and interview for jobs. The Graduate School and Graduate Student Association also provide grants for travel to conferences, archives, on a competitive basis.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://theology.nd.edu/graduate-programs/ph-d/areas-of-concentration/christianity-judaism-in-antiquity/