Religious Studies

Religious studies is an exciting part of the offerings in the humanities at the college. Its resources in faculty, library, courses, lecture series, and special events provide a strong background in the area, particularly attractive to students in the humanities or social sciences. The program’s academic orientation is derived from the disciplines of history, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. These fields attempt to treat religious phenomena from a nonpartisan and scholarly standpoint. The broad scope of faculty specialization permits a comprehensive investigation of the pervasive religious concerns of the world’s cultures. Students interested in a religious studies major/minor should consult with the director as soon as possible after having recognized their interest in the discipline.  

THE MAJOR  

The major in Religious Studies is an interdisciplinary program intended for students with an interest in learning about religious texts, experience, practice, theology, and other aspects of religion from a nonpartisan and scholarly standpoint. Students are expected to choose two traditions in each of which they will take at least two courses (Buddhism, Christianity, Classical Religion, Hinduism/ Eastern Religion, Islam, Judaism) and to complete coursework in comparative approaches to the study of religion as well as in particular disciplinary treatments of religion as an object of study or area of inquiry. All students are required to take Introduction to the Study of Religion by the end of the sophomore year, and the Advanced Seminar in the senior year. The Religious Studies program is housed in the Department of Classical, Middle Eastern, and Asian Languages and Cultures. Its courses are offered in the home department—under the Arabic, Hebrew, Classics, Chinese, and East Asian Studies headings—as well as in other departments in the divisions of Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences, including Anthropology, Art History, Philosophy, and Sociology. See the box on the next page for specific requirements for the major.