What is the history of religious studies at Yale?

Yale University was founded in 1701 by Congregationalist clergy with an original focus on theology and sacred languages. Over the centuries, this theological foundation evolved into specialized graduate and professional programs, including the Yale Divinity School and programs associated with the study of religion. The university's early curriculum expansion eventually grew to encompass comprehensive humanities, sciences, and professional graduate instruction.

What we know

• Yale University was established in 1701 by Congregationalist clergy of the Connecticut Colony. [2]
• The school's original focus was on theology and sacred languages before expanding to include humanities and sciences. [2]
• Yale Divinity School has roots in a Theological Department established in 1822. [3]
• Scholars such as Tomoko Masuzawa completed graduate work in religious studies at Yale University. [4] · medium confidence

Where to go next

• whenWhen was Yale Divinity School established?
• how we knowHow does Yale University library rank nationally?
• the bigger pictureWhat institutions belong to the colonial colleges?
• whoWho was Tomoko Masuzawa?
• whereWhere is Yale University located?
• an unexpected connectionHow do early Christian apocrypha connect to modern religious studies?Scholars trained in religious studies traditions go on to investigate formative relations between early Islam and Near Eastern Christianity.

Sources

• [1]Yale University (Wikidata Q49112) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Yale University · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Yale Divinity School · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Tomoko Masuzawa · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Stephen J. Shoemaker · CC BY-SA 4.0