Requirements

Major

Because the field of religious studies is multidimensional, a program for majors must acquaint them with each of these dimensions — world religions, sacred texts, theology, ethics — as well as enable them to pursue in-depth the particular area of their own interest.

A major is required to take 10 courses in the department, including one course in each of the following areas: world religions, sacred texts, theology, and ethics; and two intensive courses (seminars or tutorials) in the student’s area of concentration. For those students who intend to pursue graduate studies in religion or theology, the department strongly advises competence in a classical as well as a modern language, and in the social sciences and philosophy.

Tutorial reading programs and individual research projects are available to the qualified student by arrangement with the appropriate instructor and the department chair.

Minor

Religious studies minors are required to take six courses in the department. These must include courses from two different religious traditions and represent at least three of the four subject areas the department covers: world religions, sacred texts, theology, and ethics. In addition, at least two courses should be at the 200-level or above, one of which must be a seminar. Minors are encouraged to have an instructor from the department to assist them as they shape their program in the study of religion. A course taken in Montserrat carrying an R designation might be counted toward the minor with the approval of the department chair.

Subject Areas

Explore the courses in each of our four subject areas.

RELS 118 New Testament
RELS 126 Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
RELS 139 Understanding Jesus (or subject area Theology)
RELS 190 History of the Early Church
RELS 216 Readings: Asian Sacred Texts (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 221 Women In Early Christianity
RELS 229 Walking With Paul 
RELS 233 Households & Early Christianity
RELS 242 Sex, Gender & the Hebrew Bible 
RELS 270 The Quran (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 284 Sex, Money, Power & the Bible 
RELS 241 Scripture and Script: The Bible and Contemporary Art, Media and Literature 
RELS 304 Land and Creation 
RELS 395 Nature and Animals in the Bible 
 

RELS 101 Intro to the Comparative Study of Religion 
RELS 106 Buddhism
RELS 107 Islam
RELS 108 Hinduism 
RELS 120 Comparative Religions/World View
RELS 121 Saints and Sinners (or subject area Theology)
RELS 147 Judaism 
RELS 149 Judaism in the Time of Jesus 
RELS 165 Ancient and Medieval Hinduism
RELS 179 Global Catholicism (or subject area Theology)
RELS 216 Readings: Asian Sacred Texts (or subject area Sacred Texts)
RELS 255 Ecology & Religion
RELS 260 Comparative Mysticism & Human Ecology
RELS 270 The Quran (or subject area Sacred Texts) 
RELS 276 Comparative Catholicisms 
RELS 277 Modern Religious Movements
RELS 279 Religion and Violence
RELS 299-S05 - (De)Colonial Catholicisms in Latin America (or subject area Theology)
RELS 299-S06 - Who is my neighbor? Catholicism, Genocide & Rwanda (or subject area Theology)
RELS 311 Zen Buddhism
RELS 312 Theravada Buddhism
RELS 315 Islamic Philosophy & Theology (or subject area Theology)
RELS 327 Holocaust: Confronting Evil (or subject area Theology) 
RELS 340 Gardens & World Religions
 

RELS 102 Mary in Christian Theology
RELS 103 Race and Religion
RELS 112 Christian Martyrdom
RELS 114 Introduction To Theology
RELS 115 Angels and Demons
RELS 116 Catholicism 
RELS 117 History Of Christianity 1 
RELS 119 History Of Christianity 2
RELS 121 Saints and Sinners (or subject area World Religions) 
RELS 133 Contemporary Catholic Spirituality
RELS 139 Understanding Jesus (or subject area Sacred Texts)
RELS 170 The Worlds of C. S. Lewis
RELS 179  Global Catholicism (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 184 Theology & Art
RELS 204 Early Christian Monasticism
RELS 205 God: A Love Story
RELS 215 Defense Against the Dark Arts
RELS 217 Eucharist/History & Theology
RELS 218 Christian Sacraments
RELS 219 Christian Prayer in Theory and Practice
RELS 225 Love, Friendship and Catholicism
RELS 234 Conflicts in the Church
RELS 243 Theology Of The New Testament
RELS 260 Comparative Mysticism & Human Ecology 
RELS 280 Liberation Theology (or subject area Ethics)
RELS 285 Jesuit Spirituality
RELS 287 Early Christian Preaching
RELS 290 Teología Andina
RELS 292 Medieval Christianity
RELS 295 Un tal Jesus
RELS 299-S05  (De)Colonial Catholicisms in Latin America (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 299-S06  Who is my neighbor? Catholicism, Genocide & Rwanda (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 315 Islamic Philosophy & Theology
RELS 333 Comparative Theology
RELS 360  Theology of Thomas Aquinas
RELS 315 Islamic Philosophy & Theology
RELS 327 Holocaust: Confronting Evil (or subject area World Religions)
RELS 299-S01 Christian Autobiography
 

RELS 141 Contemporary Christian Morality
RELS 143 Social Ethics
RELS 230 Theological Perspectives on Medical Ethics
RELS 238  Christian Ethics and Mental Illness
RELS 280 Liberation Theology (or subject area Theology)
RELS 294 Sexual Justice: Social Ethics
RELS 299-F07 Christian Critics
RELS 300 Ethics of Work & Family
RELS 302 The Challenge of Happiness
RELS 313 HIV/AIDS and Ethics 
RELS 314 Everyday Ethics 
 

Courses that Count as a Second Religious Tradition 

(Applies if courses in Christianity have already been taken)

RELS 106 Buddhism
RELS 107 Islam
RELS 108 Hinduism 
RELS 147 Judaism 
RELS 149 Judaism in the Time of Jesus 
RELS 165 Ancient and Medieval Hinduism
RELS 270 The Quran
RELS 311 Zen Buddhism
RELS 312 Theravada Buddhism
RELS 315 Islamic Philosophy & Theology
RELS 327 Holocaust: Confronting Evil