Study of Religion scholarship fund

Support students in Study of Religion

The study of religion explores the horizons of human diversity and possibility. It invites us to understand the very different ways that people live their lives. In Study of Religion we examine the world’s faiths in their interactions with politics and society, morality and ethics, and in the shaping of human imagination and experience.

2020-2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the Religious Studies (now Study of Religion) programme at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington. It has grown to become one of the largest and most influential programmes of its kind in Australasia, with a long-standing reputation for outstanding teaching and cutting-edge research.

Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship in Religion

The Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship in Religion celebrates the contribution of Sir Lloyd Geering ONZ, GNZM, CBE as the programme’s Foundation Professor and Emeritus Professor, and one of New Zealand’s most eminent and influential thinkers and commentators on religion.

This scholarship will support postgraduate studies in Study of Religion. Your contribution will help a new generation of students learn to tackle the compelling issues of their times with the fresh thinking and expansive imagination that Sir Lloyd exemplified.

Download the booklet for more information.

The Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship Appeal is aiming to raise $200,000 to contribute to the fund.

The Paul Morris Scholarship in Religious Diversity and Inclusion

Emeritus Professor Paul MorrisThe Paul Morris Scholarship in Religion celebrates Paul's contribution to Study of Religion at Victoria University of Wellington and to religious and cultural debate in New Zealand. In 1994 Paul became the second Professor of Religious Studies, after Sir Lloyd Geering. Under Paul's leadership, the programme expanded to become the flagship programme in Religious Studies nationwide, and the largest programme of its discipline in the southern hemisphere. Paul was the main media commentator on religious and cultural diversity issues in this country, including a long-running series on Radio New Zealand.

This scholarship will support postgraduate study in Study of Religion. Your contribution will help a new generation to explore the role of religions in the contemporary world.