What is Religious Studies?
What will I be able to do if I major in Religious Studies?
Do I have to be religious to major in Religious Studies?
How will I tell my parents that I'm majoring in Religious Studies?
So, what do I do now?
What is Religious Studies?
Religion is a creative force in human experience. Critics and devotees alike agree that religion has been at the source of culture and civilization and motivates the actions of many people. Religion is what many people live for and are willing to die for. It is the source of people's values and ideals, and determines much of how they live their lives. To understand human life in general, or any aspect of a particular culture, it is crucial to understand the religious influences that have shaped so much of the world's literature, politics, art, and economics.
Religious Studies is the academic study of religion. By nature a comparative study, it involves the exploration of a wide range of phenomena, including the myths, symbols, values, beliefs, writings, practices, and rituals of individuals and communities in many different times and places. Religious Studies is also an adventure in investigating the self and others. Because religion has always been one of the main ways people find meaning in life, there is no better way to understand one's self than to examine in a disciplined fashion one's own world view in the light of the many different life perspectives of others, both past and present.
Religious Studies is interdisciplinary; it does not study religion from a single perspective. It brings together perspectives and approaches from anthropology, history, philosophy, art, sociology, and literature to gain a more comprehensive view of religious behavior. Since Religious Studies is multi-disciplinary, it complements and strengthens many other courses of study in the liberal arts. Many of our Religious Studies students pursue double majors.
The cross-cultural endeavors at the heart of Religious Studies render the world larger, more complex and more exciting. By studying religions, students encounter realities never before imagined. Because religions are concerned with questions of meaning, Religious Studies provides an opportunity for students to explore the ways in which humans have struggled to make sense of the world and their place in it. To study religion is to study possible responses to some of the great riddles that human beings face, such as suffering, death, the true identity of the self, the nature of the universe, and the goal of life.
Finally, Religious Studies does not aim to promote or undermine any particular religion or world view; the academic study of religion seeks to examine religion from outside the framework of any particular belief system. Based on a commitment to the highest standards of intellectual freedom and integrity, Religious Studies is an area in which all questions may be asked and none are disallowed. Students of all backgrounds and interests are welcome.
What will I be able to do if I major in Religious Studies?
You will be prepared to understand and work with all kinds of people in this country and around the world. You will learn about issues that will confront you in whatever profession you later work in, whether you pursue the academic profession, business, law, medicine, journalism, social services, or other professions. You will have the opportunity to develop expertise in a part of the world such as Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East. Above, all, you will learn to think and write clearly, abilities that will never be obsolete and that are increasingly in demand by employers worldwide.
But then we were not born for work alone. Majoring in Religious Studies can provide a great deal of thought to engage your mind in whatever profession you choose. The study of religion grants you access to a wide range of human possibilities; it broadens and deepens your understanding of the diverse richness and mystery that attends being human. Students majoring in Religious Studies will not only be better equipped to understand people of very different backgrounds, but will also learn much about themselves: where their ideas and values come from, how they differ from others, and the significance of these differences. This is knowledge that will remain relevant for a lifetime, and is the key to a life of fulfillment and conscious choice.
Do I have to be religious to major in Religious Studies?
No! Do you have to be old to major in History? Do you have to be a rock to major in Geology? Do you have to be a tree to major in Forestry? Of course not! On the other hand, you may be deeply religious and find that the major in Religious Studies gives you context in which your religious practices and ideas can be understood in a more profound manner. In any case, you will study religious traditions beyond those in which you may have been raised, or with which you are already familiar.
How will I tell my parents that I'm majoring in Religious Studies?
Tell them that you've decided to spend all this time, money and effort on something that matters to you now and will in the future. Tell them that you want personalized instruction from faculty members who know you as an individual and who can serve as mentors. Tell them that you intend to take your college education seriously, and to prepare yourself to keep on learning for the rest of your life.