Academic Program in Religion
Program Requirements
Overview
Approaches to the academic study of religion have developed in engagement with a host of historical factors. Understanding religious studies as an academic discipline requires an appreciation of the intersections and divergences among a variety of approaches.
In our major, we focus on the following three influential approaches:
1) Texts and Contexts, 2) Arts, Literature, and Performance, and 3) Ethics and Society.
Together, these methods give students a substantial understanding of the history, practices, literature, social ethics, and belief systems of various ancient, classical, and modern civilizations.
The study of religion also is interdisciplinary, drawing on modes of study used in anthropology, philosophy, history, archeology, classics, literary criticism, theology, sociology, art, and music.
Religion majors can choose a faculty member as a mentor, and will create a capstone project to synthesize the knowledge and skills developed through their course of study in their major.