Academic studies of religions and spiritualities enable students to explore many different religious and spiritual perspectives on the world, human life, and ultimate human concerns that appear across all historical periods, within diverse cultures, and through multiple traditions. Through the major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality, students will pursue several interrelated educational opportunities:
Requirements for the Major
A student will complete a Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality by fulfilling the following requirements, in addition to the other required courses (electives and courses in General Education) for a degree.
Required Track of Study
The Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality offers three tracks of study in the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality:
• Track One: General Studies in Religions and Spiritualities;
• Track Two: Studies in Christian Religions and Spiritualities; and
• Track Three: Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice.
The previous three tracks of study indicate the three ways in which students may design their curricular plans for the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality, in order to draw most effectively from the historic disciplinary strengths in both the Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality and its larger academic division. Tracks do not appear on the academic transcript. The academic transcript records only the degree and the major.
During or immediately following the first year of study toward the Major, the student who chooses the Major in Religions and Spirituality must choose to pursue one, and only one, of these three tracks of study. The departmental Faculty advises, but does not require, students to declare which one of the three tracks within the Major that they will pursue after students have completed REL 100: The Study of Religions. Requirements for each one of the three tracks of study within the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality follow.
Track One: General Studies in Religions and Spiritualities
For students who desire a broad background in the study of religions and spirituality, especially to support their work in another primary academic Major (such as Peace and Social Justice Studies, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, Art History, etc.), the Department for Studies in Religions and Spirituality offers the Major with a track in General Studies in Religions and Spiritualities, which requires completion of eight (8) courses. All other requirements for the Major in Religions and Spirituality also apply.
Required Core Courses
| REL 100 | The Study of Religions | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 302 | Studies in Global Rels & Spirs | 1 Course Credit |
Required Capstone Course
| REL 480 | Sem Religions & Spiritualities | 1 Course Credit |
Completion of Five (5) Additional Courses
For Track One, students must choose and must complete five additional courses from the three lists of courses that follow, at least one (1) of which must come from each of the three different areas of study. Students must choose at least two 200-level courses from the curriculum of the Department for Studies in Religions and Spirituality, which count as two of the five additional courses for the Major in Religions and Spirituality.
Required Distributive Courses
Students must complete at least one (1) course from each of the following three areas of study:
Area I: General Historical Studies of Religions and Spirituality;
Area II: General Cultural Studies of Religions and Spirituality; and
Area III: General Normative Studies of Religions and Spirituality.
In order to enable students to pursue two Majors in related disciplines of study, the Department permits a student to take as many as, but no more than, two courses toward the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality from the curricula of other selected academic disciplines or fields of study. Students may take such courses only from the course-lists in each one of three distributive areas. While all three distributive areas examine various historical, cultural, and normative features of religions and spirituality, each one of the three areas of study that follow emphasizes one primary disciplinary area or methodological field of inquiry.
Area I: General Historical Studies of Religions and Spirituality
The first area in academic studies of religions and spirituality explores the historical development and contexts of specific religious or spiritual communities, traditions, or movements, with careful attention to their various dimensions: social and institutional organization or governance; rituals and devotional practices; experiences and emotions; moral/legal codes and behavior; sacred narratives or myths and scriptures; beliefs or teachings; and material expressions (art, symbols, architecture, etc.). This field in academic studies of religions and spirituality corresponds to the discipline of the history of religions.
| REL 105 | Intro to Old Testament | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 107 | Intro to the New Testament | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 136/AFR 136 | African Trad Religion (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 224 | Hinduism | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 238 | African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 240 | Islam | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 250 | Judaism | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 260/AST 260 | Buddhism (AST) | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| ARH 232 | Art of Ancient Greece & Rome | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 242 | Medieval Art | 1 Course Credit |
| HIS 355 | Sem in American Rel Hist | 1 Course Credit |
Area II: General Cultural Studies of Religions and Spirituality
The second area in academic studies of religions and spirituality examines moral, social, economic, aesthetic, and political questions, problems, or issues that either emerge from the cultural contexts of distinct religious and/or spiritual communities, experience, thought, and practice or occur as religious and/or spiritual questions or issues within more expansive cultural frames of reference. This field in academic studies of religions and spirituality, closely corresponding to the disciplinary field of cultural studies, poses comparative questions about diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions and experiences from literary-critical, social-scientific, anthropological, and phenomenological perspectives.
| REL 204 | The Study of Spirituality | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 211/WGS 211 | Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 222/CLS 222 | Classical Mythology (CLS) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 228 | Archaeology & Christian Script | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 242 | Religions and Atheisms | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 234/MUS 234 | Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS) | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 210 | Topics in Islamic Art & Archit | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 230 | Topics in Latin American Art | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 249/AST 249 | Topics in Asian Art (AST) | 1 Course Credit |
| AST 132 | Religions of China | 1 Course Credit |
| AST 135 | Religions of Japan | 1 Course Credit |
| AST 206 | Intro to Asian Cinema | 1 Course Credit |
| CHI 103 | Introduction to Chinese III | 1 Course Credit |
| GRK 202 | Introduction to Greek II | 1 Course Credit |
| HEB 103 | Readings in Biblia Hebraica | 1 Course Credit |
| JPN 103 | Introduction to Japanese III | 1 Course Credit |
| LAT 102 | Introduction to Latin II | 1 Course Credit |
Area III General Normative Studies of Religions and Spirituality
The third area in academic studies of religions and spirituality investigates normative questions, problems, and issues, as well as constructive solutions and proposals about the existence and character of sacred or ultimate reality, the world and universe, and the nature and conduct of human life that emerge within religious and/or spiritual experience, communities, and traditions. This field in the academic study of religions and spirituality includes studies from the disciplines of philosophy of religions, religious ethics, and theology.
| REL 109 | Intro to Christian Thought | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 201 | The Study of Ritual | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 212 | Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 225 | Images of Jesus | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 235 | Christian Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 271 | South Asian Phil (AST, PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 281 | Islamic Philosophy (PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 225/APS 225/PSJ 225/SENS 225/WGS 225 | Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| AST 240/SOC 240/WGS 240 | Kinshp/Gen SE Asia (SOC/WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 104 | Morality, Law & Philosophy | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 214 | Approaches to Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 215 | Thinking About God | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 100 | Fnd of Peace & Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 113/COM 113 | Conflict and Mediation (COM) | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 210 | Diversity and Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 218 | Voices of Non-violence | 1 Course Credit |
Track Two: Studies in Christian Religions and Spiritualities
For students who plan to pursue careers in various kinds of Christian ministry, graduate studies in ministry, or specialized teaching of Christian religions, the Department for Studies in Religions and Spirituality offers the Major with a specialized track for Studies in Christian Religions and Spiritualties, which requires completion of eight (8) courses. All other requirements for the Major in Religions and Spirituality also apply.
Required Core Courses
| REL 100 | The Study of Religions | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 302 | Studies in Global Rels & Spirs | 1 Course Credit |
Required Capstone Course
| REL 480 | Sem Religions & Spiritualities | 1 Course Credit |
Completion of Five (5) Additional Courses
Students must choose and complete five additional courses from the three lists of courses that follow, at least one (1) of which must come from each of the three different areas of study. Students must choose at least two 200-level courses from the curriculum of the Department for Studies in Religions and Spirituality, which count as two of the five additional courses for the Major in Religions and Spirituality.
Required Distributive Courses
Students must complete at least one (1) course from each of the following three areas of study:
Area I: Historical Studies of Christian Religions and Spirituality;
Area II: Cultural Studies of Christian Religions and Spirituality; and
Area III: Normative Studies of Christian Religions and Spirituality.
In order to enable students to pursue two Majors in related disciplines of study, the Department permits a student to take as many as, but no more than, two courses toward the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality from other academic curricula. Students may take such courses only from the course-lists in each one of three distributive areas. While all three distributive areas examine various historical, cultural, and normative features of religions and spirituality, each one of the three areas of study that follow emphasizes one primary area or methodological field of inquiry.
Area I: Historical Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities
| REL 105 | Intro to Old Testament | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 107 | Intro to the New Testament | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 136/AFR 136 | African Trad Religion (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| REL 240 | Islam | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| REL 250 | Judaism | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| ARH 232 | Art of Ancient Greece & Rome | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 242 | Medieval Art | 1 Course Credit |
| HIS 355 | Sem in American Rel Hist | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 238 | African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
Area II Cultural Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities
| REL 204 | The Study of Spirituality | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 211/WGS 211 | Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 222/CLS 222 | Classical Mythology (CLS) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 228 | Archaeology & Christian Script | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 242 | Religions and Atheisms | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 234/MUS 234 | Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS) | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| ARH 230 | Topics in Latin American Art | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| ARH 232 | Art of Ancient Greece & Rome | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| ARH 242 | Medieval Art | 1 Course Credit |
| GRK 202 | Introduction to Greek II | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| HEB 103 | Readings in Biblia Hebraica | 1 Course Credit |
| or | |
| LAT 102 | Introduction to Latin II | 1 Course Credit |
Area III: Normative Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities
| REL 109 | Intro to Christian Thought | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 201 | The Study of Ritual | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 212 | Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 225 | Images of Jesus | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 235 | Christian Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 225/APS 225/PSJ 225/SENS 225/WGS 225 | Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 104 | Morality, Law & Philosophy | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 214 | Approaches to Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 215 | Thinking About God | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 100 | Fnd of Peace & Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 113/COM 113 | Conflict and Mediation (COM) | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 210 | Diversity and Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 218 | Voices of Non-violence | 1 Course Credit |
Track Three: Studies in Religions, Spiritualities and Social Justice
For students who plan to pursue various careers in fields such as business, law, politics, diplomacy, social work, etc., or even graduate studies in one or more global religious traditions or communities, the Department for Studies of Religions and Spirituality offers the Major with a track in the Study of Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice, which requires completion of eight (8) courses. All other requirements for the Major in Religions and Spirituality also apply.
Required Core Courses
| REL 100 | The Study of Religions | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 302 | Studies in Global Rels & Spirs | 1 Course Credit |
Required Capstone Course
| REL 480 | Sem Religions & Spiritualities | 1 Course Credit |
Completion of Five (5) Additional Courses
Students must choose and complete five additional courses from the three lists of courses that follow, at least one (1) of which must come from each of the three different areas of study. Students must choose at least two 200-level courses from the curriculum of the Department for Studies in Religions and Spirituality, which count as two of the five additional courses for the Major in Religions and Spirituality.
Required Distributive Courses
Students must complete at least one (1) course from each of the following three areas of study:
Area I: Historical Studies of Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice;
Area II: Cultural Studies of Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice; and
Area III: Normative Studies of Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
In order to enable students to pursue two Majors in related disciplines of study, the Department permits a student to take as many as, but no more than, two courses toward the Major in Studies of Religions and Spirituality from other academic curricula. Students may take such courses only from the course-lists in each one of three distributive areas. While all three distributive areas examine various historical, cultural, and normative features of religions and spirituality, each one of the three areas of study that follow emphasizes one primary area or methodological field of inquiry.
Area I Historical Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
| REL 105 | Intro to Old Testament | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 238 | African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 240 | Islam | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 250 | Judaism | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 165/HIS 165 | Intro to Afr-Amer History(HIS) | 1 Course Credit |
| AFR 260/HIS 260 | Survey of African His (HIS) | 1 Course Credit |
| APS 235 | Humans & Nature in Sthrn. App. | 1 Course Credit |
| HIS 231 | The Holocaust | 1 to 1.5 Course Credits |
Area II Cultural Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
| REL 136/AFR 136 | African Trad Religion (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 204 | The Study of Spirituality | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 211/WGS 211 | Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 228 | Archaeology & Christian Script | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 255 | Therapeutic Hrsemnshp(ANRHHP) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 271 | South Asian Phil (AST, PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 281 | Islamic Philosophy (PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 234/MUS 234 | Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS) | 1 Course Credit |
| APS 220/WGS 220 | Gender in Appalachia (WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| APS 230/AFR 230 | African Americans-Appal (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| ARH 230 | Topics in Latin American Art | 1 Course Credit |
| CFS 201 | Sexualty Everyday Life SOC,WGS | 1 Course Credit |
| CLS 110/HHP 110 | Sport/Spect Greece/Rome (HHP) | 1 Course Credit |
| ENG 141/AFR 141 | African-American Lit (AFR) | 1 Course Credit |
| ENG 302/WGS 302 | Intro to Queer Theory (WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| PSY 230 | Psych of Women & Gender (WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
Area III Normative Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
| REL 212 | Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 235 | Christian Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 271 | South Asian Phil (AST, PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| REL 281 | Islamic Philosophy (PHI) | 1 Course Credit |
| Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses: | |
| AFR 225/APS 225/PSJ 225/SENS 225/WGS 225 | Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| AST 240/SOC 240/WGS 240 | Kinshp/Gen SE Asia (SOC/WGS) | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 104 | Morality, Law & Philosophy | 1 Course Credit |
| PHI 214 | Approaches to Ethics | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 100 | Fnd of Peace & Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 113/COM 113 | Conflict and Mediation (COM) | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 210 | Diversity and Social Justice | 1 Course Credit |
| PSJ 218 | Voices of Non-violence | 1 Course Credit |