What You Study
The Study of Religion program is designed for students who wish to pursue the study of religion in a systematic way. Students will be assisted and advised by the Committee on the Study of Religion, which supervises the program. A student's program of study must be coherent, balanced, and varied. It must provide for a clearly-defined focus and for study of a wide range of religious phenomena. Successful completion of the program is recorded on official university transcripts when a student has met all College of Liberal Arts graduation requirements.
To fulfill the program requirements, a student must complete six (6) or more courses, at least three (3) of which must be selected from courses offered directly in the program (list immediately below). The remaining courses are chosen either from the program's courses or from the approved list of related courses.
The major
Through the College of Liberal Arts Individual Major option, students may major in the Study of Religion. The major includes a minimum of 10 Study of Religion courses, of which at least four (4) must be at an advanced level. The specific shape of the individual major differs from student to student, depending on individual needs and interests, and is created in close collaboration with a faculty advisor.
Study of Religion courses
- RelSty 109: Symbol, Myth, Ritual
- RelSty 232: Asian Religions
- RelSty 242: New Testament, Judaism, and Hellenistic Religion
- RelSty 245: The History of Christianity
- RelSty 250: Varieties of Mysticism
- RelSty 255: Religions of the Oppressed
- RelSty 478, 479: Independent Study
- RelSty 480: Special Topics Seminar
- RelSty C104: Socrates, Jesus, Buddha
- RelSty C122: Varieties of Religious Experience
- RELSTY C241: Myth, History, and Prophecy: Old Testament
- RelSty C264: Contemporary Religious Thought
- RelSty C273: Problems in Religion and Ethics
- RELSTY G130: Religious Issues in the US
- RELSTY G204: Buddha, Jesus, and Plato
- RelSty L312 (Hist L312): The Jewish Mind to 1600
- RelSty L356 (WoSt L356): Feminist Theology and Spirituality
- RELSTY L358 (EASIAN L358): Psychology, Politics, and Philosophy in East Asia
- RelSty L381 (Hist L381): The History of American Religion
Approved related Courses
In addition to the specific courses in the study of religion listed below, the following courses are closely related to the study of religion:
Approaches to Religion through Particular Disciplines:
- Anth 366 (The Anthropology of Religion)
- Anth 367 (Social and Cultural Perspectives on Witchcraft and Sorcery)
- Phil 225 (The Philosophy of Religion)
- Sociol 431 (The Sociology of Religion)
Major Religious-Cultural Traditions:
- Clsics 385 (Greek and Roman Religion)
- Hist 337 (Ancient Jewish History )
- Hist 338 (Jewish History since 1500)
- Phil 297 (Asian Philosophy)
- Phil 311 (Medieval Philosophy)
- PolSci 470 (Christianity and Politics)
Religion and Literature: