 Wach taught at the University of Chicago Divinity School from 1945 to 1955, becoming the chair of the History of Religions area, which had just been moved to the Divinity School from its earlier home in the Division of the Humanities.In his lectures and his writings, he emphasized a comprehensive study of religion, focusing on a) religious experience, b) religious praxis, and c) religious communities.According to the University of Chicago Archives, Wach used the methods of the social sciences to better understand religious thought.