Religion

For thousands of years, religious belief and practice have played an essential role in creating and challenging societal norms and personal identities. Inherently interdisciplinary, the study of religion straddles and intersects with numerous branches of the humanities and social sciences. The Religion Department offers historically grounded courses in several major religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, the religions of China and Japan, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Department also offers thematic courses, and courses that focus on the close study of fundamental religious texts, such as the biblical corpus; the formation and histories of religiously defined communities; and the interactions among religion and other historical and cultural phenomena. 

The Religion Department’s courses employ a range of approaches and methods for the study of religion and religious cultures, including historical, literary, social, comparative, and cultural studies, race and gender-based theoretical perspectives, as well as moral and metaphysical reflection. The intellectual breadth and depth of Religion Studies has helped to prepare our graduates for many careers including business, law, medicine, public service, journalism and teaching. 

Goals for the Major

Students who elect a major in Religion will acquire these competencies and skills:

• Students will learn to describe and interpret one religious tradition or a central theme in two or more traditions.
• Students will learn to analyze and assess sacred texts and religious writings, including their specialized rhetoric, forms, and contexts.
• Students will learn to employ critical methods and theoretical perspectives used in contemporary scholarship on religion.