Religious Studies, B.A.

Religion is a pervasive, powerful, multifaceted, and enduring dimension of human experience. Religions and religious phenomena have shaped complex cultures and countless individual lives. They are influential in the world today and will continue to be so in the future. The academic study of religion is multidisciplinary, drawing upon approaches from history, literary studies, philosophy, and the social sciences. It is multicultural, exploring the beliefs, practices, and developments of particular religious communities in many different cultures. The critical study of religion fosters the education of mature and responsible citizens.

Students can major in Religious Studies. The B.A. in Religious Studies is an interdisciplinary degree, providing graduates with the knowledge base and intellectual, communication, and interpersonal skills essential to success in any career. More specifically, knowledge of religion - and the ability to think clearly and communicate effectively about it - is valuable in fields that involve public affairs, international and cross-cultural relations, religious issues and groups, or interaction with diverse individuals and populations. While it provides insights into the role of religion in personal, group, and societal identity and conflict, studying religion does not require any particular religious background or commitment.

If you have more questions, contact Sabatino DiBernardo.

More Information

• Undergraduate Catalog Requirements
• Courses
• Advising

Related Faculty

• Todd Brenneman
• Visiting Instructor

Research Interests: Religion in the United States; American evangelicalism; Children and religion; Mormonism; Religion and popular culture; Religion and emotion

• Jane Compson
• Instructor

Research Interests: Theravada Buddhism and Comparative Religion; Environmental Ethics; Animal Ethics; Medical and veterinary Ethics; Contemplative Education; Mindfulness

• Harry Scott Coverston
• Instructor

Research Interests: Education and the Humanities, LBGT justice issues, Stages of moral/faith development (Kohlberg, Gilligan, Rest, Fowler, Beck, Wilber); Latin American Humanities; Liberation theology; State killing attitudes and religious correlates; Ethics and Torture and Genocide; Religion in America; Religion in the 21st Century; Juergen Habermas/Frankfurt School; Holocaust studies

• Sabatino DiBernardo
• Instructor

Research Interests: Pyrrhonian Skepticism; Philosophy of Religion; Deconstruction; Philosophy, Religion and Popular Culture

• Claudia Schippert
• Associate Professor

Research Interests: The central focus of Dr. Schippert's research in queer theory and religion is the body: how bodies are discursively constructed in religious traditions as well as in American culture; how popular culture and various media affect representations and practices of bodies; and how these questions can be pursued in ways that call attention to the role of gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary society.