People often assume that one should or must be deeply religious in order to major or minor in Religious Studies. This is not true. Anyone who is interested in exploring critically the phenomenon of religion, including but not limited to persons of faith, will find a home in our department.
At its core, our program helps our students understand and appreciate the meanings and roles of religion in human culture.
Religions shape how human beings interpret and interact with other humans, with nature, and with what we take to be most sacred. Understanding the roles religion plays in society, politics and economics is ideal preparation for careers in today’s multicultural, global environment.
The Department presents in its courses a critical study and appreciation of the various religious traditions of the world. Through this approach to Religious Studies, the Department provides students with an opportunity to explore the significance of human existence in its relation to the sacred, and alerts them to the importance of religious beliefs and practices in the political, social, aesthetic, and economic arenas.
