Religion
About the Department
Religion is an essential part of the humanistic studies in a liberal arts education. The study of religion is one way to establish a view of reality, and more specifically a view of the meaning of human existence as individuals and as social beings in relation to ultimate reality.
A primary goal of the department is to introduce students to the study of religion as a field of academic and intellectual inquiry within the liberal arts. This includes exposure to some of the basic sub-fields within the discipline and the ways in which religion connects and intersects with some of the other disciplines in the academy.
Because religion deals with fundamental issues involving values and worldview assumptions, students can expect to reflect on what it means to be human and social. They will examine and reflect on religious questions and experiences in order to develop a critical consciousness of and a sense of responsibility for nature, history and the structures of society. They further can expect to examine and reflect upon the interactions between religion and culture, and among different religious traditions, and how these dynamics have helped create a variety of religious voices.
Through their studies, students can expect to develop critical and analytical skills for examining the various religious systems in a pluralistic society. As these processes of examination and reflection are thrust into a global perspective, students may be enabled to subject their own religious and cultural perceptions to critical analysis.