>>>On the one hand, endowment plunges cause Harvard to temporarily suspend its Program in Religious Studies and Education. At the same time, Yale Divinity School sees a 13% spike in applications. Is there a connection between economic adversity and interest in “seeking spiritual solace” or are folks just looking for a place to park until the storm blows and they can start job hunting again?

“Apparently, finding religion is countercyclical to the economy—admissions officers nationwide saw a similar application bump during the dot-com bust in 2001. Despite the increased interest, the divinity school will not be increasing its class size this year.”