The Program on Studies in Religion at the University of Michigan was founded in 1966 by Biblical Studies Professor David Noel Freedman. While the program was never established as a formal department of religion, it was part of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, until it was suspended indefinitely in 1999 due to an insufficient number of faculty and a lack of upper-level course offerings. The Program on Studies in Religion (University of Michigan) records contain administrative files and materials pertaining to the Dahood Memorial Prize and Hans Kung, as well as the various courses, seminars, and lectures that composed the program during its existence. Several audio and videocassettes of some of these lectures are also present in the collection.
The Program on Studies in Religion (University of Michigan) records comprise 5 linear feet of materials spanning the years 1971-2000. The records document the administrative activities of the program, as well as the academic activities of its various faculty members and students.