Religious Studies (BA)

Description

The study of religion is an important branch of the humanities and an essential component in any well-grounded program of higher education. It is crucial for the understanding of any culture, and it deals with serious issues for the self-understanding of students of any age. 91福利社's Department of Religious Studies offers programs designed to explore the variety of religious meanings which human beings have expressed in the past as well as those which continue to be expressed in the present.

Because of its roots in the Catholic tradition, this department offers a wide variety of courses on Christian themes and developments, while also offering students broad exposure to other traditions, such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Hoping to be a place where the best in contemporary Catholic thinking can encounter and exist in dialogue with other sources of contemporary thinking, the University regards the Department of Religious Studies as a special focus of this encounter.

The curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Religious Studies is designed to serve three purposes: (1) to provide introductory and survey courses in the study of religion that will be valuable for all undergraduates and available in all time slots; (2) to provide a major for students wishing to concentrate in the study of religion; and (3) to provide a program leading to the master's degree for students wishing to engage in advanced studies.

Open All | Close All

  • 听

    Degree Requirements

    To obtain this undergraduate degree, the student must fulfill the requirements of the University Core Curriculum, the requirements for the program major and have completed a minimum of 126 credit hours.

    Religious Studies Major (30 credits)

    Religious Studies majors, and students who choose Religious Studies as a secondary area of concentration, are required to earn 30 credit hours in the field. Half of these credits must be earned in upper level courses (3000/4000 level).

    To encourage a wide encounter with the varieties of religious expression, a student must take at least one course in each of the five areas into which Religious Studies is divided: world religions (other than Christianity), Biblical studies, Christian theology and spirituality, contemporary issues in religion and ethics. A representative selection of courses in these areas will be offered days and evenings.

    Near the end of their senior year, majors are also required to submit a portfolio of exams and papers which, in their judgment, give evidence of their knowledge of the field, their skills of research and expression and their personal appropriation of the materials they have covered. No additional grades are given for the portfolios. Their purpose is to assist the department in advising students and assessing the overall effectiveness of the program.

    World Religions (Must take one course.)

    Biblical Studies (Must take one course.)

    • RELS 2200 Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (3 credits)
    • RELS 2230 Prophets and Visionaries (3 credits)
    • RELS 2240 Jesus and Gospels (3 credits)
    • RELS 2245 Introduction to the New Testament (3 credits)
    • RELS 2290 The Bible as Religious Literature (3 credits)
    • RELS 3220 Wisdom Literature (3 credits)
    • RELS 3240 Feminist Biblical Interpretation (3 credits)
    • RELS 4220 Torah and Historical Writings (3 credits)
    • RELS 4230 Prophets, Wisdom and Apocalyptic (3 credits)
    • RELS 4240 The Four Gospels (3 credits)

    Christian Theology and Spirituality (Must take one course.)