What is religious studies?

The study of religion is a way of organizing academic inquiry into how human beings and human cultures express and experience their religious needs, beliefs and values. It involves the study of both specific religious traditions and the general nature of religion as a phenomenon of human life. Using cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches, religious studies investigates and interprets systems of religious belief, the history of religious traditions, the function of religion in society, and forms of religious expression such as ritual, symbols, sacred narrative, scripture, practices, theological and philosophical reflection. Students of religion, whether adherents of a religion or of no religion, gain tools to understand, compare and engage the phenomenon of religion and its role in human life and culture.

What can I learn in religion courses?

Because religions and the religious deal with questions of meaning and orientation, religious studies provides a place for students to explore in a disciplined fashion the ways in which humans have struggled to make sense of themselves and their world. To study religion is to study responses, both behavioral and intellectual, to some of the great riddles and questions that face human beings, including origins, death, suffering, hope, love and the nature of the self and the universe. Religion is not a narrow, isolated segment of individual and social life. Rather, it is a constellation of beliefs, values, practices and behaviors that deeply inform personal and public life. The study of religion requires a variety of disciplinary approaches, bringing together perspectives and approaches from history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, literature, theology and social theory to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the persons and communities that constitute religious traditions. When you study religion, you are not studying just some set of official dogmas or rituals that are isolated from real life. You are studying what makes most people and civilizations "tick."

Courses in the religion department can take you deeper into your own religious heritage and help you to know the religious traditions of others. You will gain a critical appreciation of the complex role that religion plays in the terms of cultural discourse, of social attitudes and behavior and of moral reflection in both Eastern and Western religious traditions and in the experience of individuals and communities.

For additional information on the benefits of studying religion, browse this site sponsored by the American Academy of Religion: Why Study Religion?

What can I do with a major in religion?

Like other majors within the humanities, the study of religion is a resource for understanding the world we live in. It embraces the enduring liberal arts ideal that before locking into a job niche in a world defined by public or local perceptions, it is good to first have the opportunity to study ways of interpreting the world itself and thus to develop informed judgments about what is valuable to know and to do. At the same time, the field of religion has its own specific educational outcomes. Majors, as noted above, will have enhanced understanding of cultural diversity and the naturalness of diverse world views. International and historical perspectives will in turn provide the wider context for students' understanding of their own culture, as well as provide preparation for careers in international relations, development, and commerce.

Religion majors also gravitate to the same kinds of professions and work opportunities as do those who major in History, English, or even Biology. For example, they may eventually go into medicine (many medical schools actually prefer that their applicants major in humanistic fields), law, business, education, social work, or ordained ministry. A few even choose to go on to graduate work in religion and thence to academic careers in the subject.

Moreover, in the process of interpreting religion, majors engage some of the most critical questions about the nature of human selfhood, the social construction of reality, and the many functions of language. Because religion has been part of all human cultures around the world, archaic and modern, because it has intersected with every form of social structure and process, and because its varied expressions in art, philosophy, politics, and psychology, the study of religion can provide an unusually integrative matrix for student's undergraduate experience.

Graduates of our program have gone on to pursue careers in a wide variety of fields including: teaching (high school and higher education), medicine, law,
business, publishing, computer sciences, international relations and development, ministry, and social service. A recent survey of 114 graduates of the program within the last ten years revealed that 90% of those surveyed responded that they were satisfied/very satisfied with their choice of religion as a major or minor and a similar percentage would make the same decision again given the opportunity. We are very proud of the satisfaction level among current and past students of the program. Graduates of our program have gone on to graduate programs in religion, cultural studies, psychology, and sociology at schools such as Duke, Indiana, Harvard, and Emory, among others.

What are the requirements for a major in religion?

A major in religion requires a minimum of twenty-seven hours, of which twenty-one must be in courses above the 100-level. Students must take one course from each of three areas (Biblical Studies; Religion, History and Society; World Religions) as described in the College Bulletin. In addition, students must take one of the following courses that focus on methodological approaches to the study of religion: 300, 304, 318, 330, 350, 351, 387

Click on the following to learn about the
Interdisciplinary Minor in Early Christian Studies.


What are the requirements for a minor in religion?

A minor in religion requires 15 hours, nine of which must be above the 100-level. The department provides advisors for students pursuing a minor.

What is required for Honors in Religion?

Highly qualified majors are encouraged to apply for admission to the honors program. Click here for guidelines and parameters. Upon completion of all requirements, the candidate may graduate with "Honors in Religion." For additional information, consult any member of the department faculty.

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2/16/07 Last Revision