 |
|
. |
|
|
|
. |
|
| Why Study Religion?
Throughout history, religion has expressed the deepest questions human beings can ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures. Religion persists and is often on the rise, even as scientific and non-religious perspectives have become prominent. Religion can be found everywhere, on television, in film, in popular music, in our politics, our policies and at the center of global issues and cultural conflict. The scientific study of religion includes the comparative ideas of skepticism, science, and the secular. For everyone who wants to be informed about the world around them, religion is a universal human phenomenon that calls out for better understanding. Religious Studies is a dynamic academic field. Each year, thousands of undergraduates take a course in religion. Each school year, many students decide to focus on the topic and make religious studies their major course of study. It is a diverse, creative field in which scholars talk across disciplinary boundaries. Because of this, the study of religion attracts creative, versatile students willing to learn different ways of thinking about and interpreting human life and culture. Utilizing tools from many other academic fields (including philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and theology itself), the academic study of religion arises out of a broad interest about the nature of religion and religious traditions. Religious Studies offers a unique opportunity to ask fundamental questions about religious traditions in an interdisciplinary atmosphere. Overall, Religious Studies is an exciting field that is constantly crossing boundaries and breaking new ground in order to bring its subject into better focus. CareerReligious Studies offers students training in a unique combination of skills, including direct observation, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding. In many professional fields, such skills are in high demand. Career areas include business, law, medicine, public service, teaching, scholarship. In addition, many Religious Studies majors go on to graduate school. Some students choose to make religion the center of a professional career, either as the leader of a religious community, or as an academic specialist in higher education. RequirementsBachelor of Arts (3 yr General): Bachelor of Arts Community Studies (3 yr General): Minor in Gender & Women’s Studies (4 yr BA or BACS): |
| |
| Contact department chair, for further information |
 |
 | |