Gain a better understanding of the world
We challenge students to study the religious practices, beliefs, institutions, and texts of ancient and modern societies. Through these studies, students learn about the religious phenomena that have shaped human civilizations. In addition to deep knowledge of this religious and cultural activity, our students acquire intellectual skills that serve them throughout their educational endeavors and beyond. Religion has historically shaped and continues to influence cultures and institutions worldwide. It is useful to explore spiritual traditions in order to examine ultimate religious and ethical questions.
A typical course in the department includes students from various backgrounds and academic disciplines, and it affords significant opportunity for provocative interdisciplinary discussion.
Students will graduate with the ability to reflect upon, appreciate, and be open to criticism, practices, beliefs, and institutions of other cultures as well as their own. Through this exposure, students come to better understand the world, themselves, and their place in the world.