The J. Paul Getty Museum is pleased to announce the research theme for the 2025 – 2026 Getty Scholars Program at the Villa, “Religious Experience in Antiquity.” Applications for residential scholar grants are due on 1 October 2024 by 5pm PDT.

Annual Theme: Religious Experience in Antiquity

A multitude of religions flourished in the Mediterranean and beyond from the second millennium BCE through the Late Roman era. Addressing the diversity of faiths and rituals, scholars will consider the consequences of contact between the Greek and Roman worlds and neighboring civilizations of the Near East, Africa, and transalpine Europe. The intersection of religions entailed continuity and coexistence as well as intolerance and conflict. Conquest, commerce, migration, and the foundation of “international” sanctuaries facilitated new forms of worship. These interactions, which both reflected and shaped religious experience, were widely manifested in art and material culture. Engaging systems of belief that range from state-sponsored religion and local cults to private devotion, researchers will investigate how communities reconciled the spiritually charged and socially fluid landscapes around them.

The Getty Scholars Program at the Villa focuses on the Classical World in Context, a multi-year initiative to explore the interconnectivity between the ancient Mediterranean region and the cultures of Africa and Eurasia. Priority will be given to research projects that apply interdisciplinary, comparative, transregional, and diachronic approaches to art, material culture, literature, and other sources for the study of antiquity.

Deadline: 1 October 2024 by 5pm PDT

How to Apply: The research theme statement, as well as detailed instructions, eligibility requirements, and a link to apply are available online.

Eligibility: Residential grants are available for established scholars who have attained distinction in their fields and received their PhD more than 5 years ago.

Address inquiries to:

Attn: (Type of Grant)

The Getty Foundation

Phone: 310.440.7374

E-mail: VillaScholars@getty.edu; researchgrants@getty.edu