BA in Religious Studies

Religious studies offer students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of religious experience within its social, historical, literary, and political context. Courses in religious studies examine specific religious traditions such as Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, and using a comparative approach they explore themes across faith traditions. Through the major, students have the opportunity to study a range of religions and a variety of methods of understanding the key dimensions of religious life. Religious Studies Program Outcomes - Religious Studies majors: Will have facility in informed empathy as they approach the study of religions; Will be able to read complex texts from a variety of traditions; Will understand and be able to apply the methodological tools used in the study of religion including textual analysis, sociology of religion, anthropology of religion and comparative religions; Will understand the basic features of Western, Eastern and indigenous religious traditions, be able to recognize the foundations of traditions and be able to compare them; Will be able to analyze the interaction of religious views with institutions and cultures in which the traditions find themselves; Will be able to understand and assess the ethics and praxis that arise in religions; Will be able to write, think and verbally express interpretations and analysis.