Religion Major

One of the major goals of a liberal arts education is to prepare students to become productive, responsible, moral world citizens who critically reflect on who they are as complex individuals in an equally complex society and cosmos. Such reflection inevitably begins with students as enthusiastic, yet perplexed inquirers confronting fundamental questions about human meaning and truth. In this regard, philosophy and religion are essential parts of a liberal arts education. Both disciplines help students to analyze and comment critically on concerns that are fundamental to human existence.

Philosophy and religion interrogate the “truth” of human existence. Both seek to move students beyond uncritical patterns of thought and experience to ones that recognize problems of human knowing/existence and which bring students to a more considered approach to living. Both disciplines attempt to help students think clearly, critically and cross-culturally about who they are in relationship to themselves, their social and world communities, and the wider cosmos. Philosophy does this by bringing basic human experiences and issues into question. Religion does this by exploring a particular view of reality and human existence which establishes the meaning of the human being (socially and individually) in relation to “ultimate” reality. Philosophy and religion converge in their concern to probe questions such as What is truth? What can I know? What must I know? What is the meaning of existence? What is moral? What is just? What can I hope for? What is the meaning of a good life? What is a just society/world?

Courses required for a major in religion are as follows:

One introductory course:

• RLG 130
• RLG 153
• RLG 170/PHL 170

One course in religion and ethics:

• RLG 233
• RLG 245
• RLG 252
• RLG 274

One course in study of sacred texts:

• RLG 200
• RLG 206
• RLG 207

One course in contemporary theological movements:

• RLG 236
• RLG 237
• RLG 274
• RLG 355

One course in historical studies of religion:

• RLG 221
• RLG 225
• RLG 226
• RLG 372

Senior seminar:

• RLG 350

Five three-credit electives at the 200 and 300 level; two of these must be at the 300 level; and two different religious traditions must be represented:

• Christian
  • RLG 206
  • RLG 221
  • RLG 225
  • RLG 233
  • RLG 236
  • RLG 237
  • RLG 273
  • RLG 274
  • RLG 331
  • RLG 355
  • RLG 372
• Judaic
  • JS 252
  • RLG 200
  • RLG 244
  • RLG 245
  • RLG 247
  • RLG 331
• Islamic
  • RLG 207
• Eastern
  • RLG 228
  • RLG 266
  • RLG 268
• African
  • RLG 209

Writing Proficiency Requirement for Religion

Major Students are required to turn in a writing portfolio to their major adviser by fall semester in their senior year. This portfolio should include one research paper, one response/reflection paper, and another paper of their choosing. All three papers should represent work done in the religion major. These papers are reviewed by members of the Philosophy and Religion Department.