Studies of Religions and Spirituality B.A.

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:

  • Cultivate understanding of religions or religious experience as primary and enduring human expressions of and responses to the human condition;

  • Encounter many of the intellectual, practical, and theoretical issues and questions that accompany the appearance of religions and spiritualities in human life and communities;

  • Acquire knowledge of diverse historical and contemporary religious and spiritual communities, traditions, ideas, and phenomena, as well as knowledge of diverse academic methods for studies of religions and spiritualities;

  • Examine some of the classic texts in both human religious history and academic studies of religions and spiritualities;

  • Develop descriptive, analytical, interpretive, critical, creative, and constructive skills for the study of religious and spiritual phenomena;

  • Sharpen abilities to communicate critically, yet creatively and constructively, through engagement with the religious and spiritual practices and ideas of other people and their communities; and

  • Enhance appreciation for the complexities and possibilities in academic studies of religions and spirituality.

Students who pursue the academic study of religions and spirituality will learn and develop well-informed, rigorously-critical, creatively-constructive, and responsibly-engaged approaches to thinking, talking, and writing about religions, spiritualities, and related phenomena.

 

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 of Study 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 100Study of Religions

1 Course Credit

REL 302Studies in Global Rels & Spirs

1 Course Credit

Required Capstone Course

REL 480Sem 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 105Intro to Old Testament

1 Course Credit

REL 107Intro to New Testament

1 Course Credit

REL 136/AFR 136African Trad Religion (AFR)

1 Course Credit

REL 224Hinduism

1 Course Credit

REL 238African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR)

1 Course Credit

REL 240Islam

1 Course Credit

REL 250Judaism

1 Course Credit

REL 260/AST 260Buddhism (AST)

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

ARH 232Art of Ancient Greece & Rome

1 Course Credit

ARH 242Medieval Art

1 Course Credit

HIS 355Sem 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 204The Study of Spirituality

1 Course Credit

REL 211/WGS 211Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS)

1 Course Credit

REL 222/CLS 222Classical Mythology (CLS)

1 Course Credit

REL 228Archaeology & Christian Script

1 Course Credit

REL 242Religions and Atheisms

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

AFR 234/MUS 234Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS)

1 Course Credit

ARH 210Topics in Islamic Art & Archit

1 Course Credit

ARH 230Topics in Latin American Art

1 Course Credit

ARH 249/AST 249Topics in Asian Art (AST)

1 Course Credit

AST 132Religions of China

1 Course Credit

AST 135Religions of Japan

1 Course Credit

AST 206Intro to Asian Cinema

1 Course Credit

CHI 103Introduction to Chinese III

1 Course Credit

GRK 202Introduction to Greek II

1 Course Credit

HEB 103Readings in Biblia Hebraica

1 Course Credit

JPN 103Introduction to Japanese III

1 Course Credit

LAT 102Introduction 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 109Intro to Christian Thought

1 Course Credit

REL 201The Study of Ritual

1 Course Credit

REL 212Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities

1 Course Credit

REL 225Images of Jesus

1 Course Credit

REL 235Christian Ethics

1 Course Credit

REL 271/AST 271/PHI 271South Asian Phil (AST, PHI)

1 Course Credit

REL 281/PHI 281Islamic 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 225Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS)

1 Course Credit

AST 240/SOC 240/WGS 240Kinshp/Gen SE Asia (SOC/WGS)

1 Course Credit

PHI 104Morality, Law & Philosophy

1 Course Credit

PHI 214Approaches to Ethics

1 Course Credit

PHI 215Thinking About God

1 Course Credit

PSJ 100Fnd of Peace & Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 113/COM 113Conflict and Mediation (COM)

1 Course Credit

PSJ 210Diversity and Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 218Voices 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 100Study of Religions

1 Course Credit

REL 302Studies in Global Rels & Spirs

1 Course Credit

Required Capstone Course

REL 480Sem 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 Spiritualities;

Area II: Cultural Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities; and

Area III: Normative Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities.

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 spiritualities, 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 105Intro to Old Testament

1 Course Credit

REL 107Intro to New Testament

1 Course Credit

REL 136/AFR 136African Trad Religion (AFR)

1 Course Credit

or

REL 240Islam

1 Course Credit

or

REL 250Judaism

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

ARH 232Art of Ancient Greece & Rome

1 Course Credit

ARH 242Medieval Art

1 Course Credit

HIS 355Sem in American Rel Hist

1 Course Credit

REL 238African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR)

1 Course Credit

Area II Cultural Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities
REL 204The Study of Spirituality

1 Course Credit

REL 211/WGS 211Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS)

1 Course Credit

REL 222/CLS 222Classical Mythology (CLS)

1 Course Credit

REL 228Archaeology & Christian Script

1 Course Credit

REL 242Religions and Atheisms

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

AFR 234/MUS 234Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS)

1 Course Credit

or

ARH 230Topics in Latin American Art

1 Course Credit

or

ARH 232Art of Ancient Greece & Rome

1 Course Credit

or

ARH 242Medieval Art

1 Course Credit

GRK 202Introduction to Greek II

1 Course Credit

or

HEB 103Readings in Biblia Hebraica

1 Course Credit

or

LAT 102Introduction to Latin II

1 Course Credit

Area III: Normative Studies of Christian Religions and Spiritualities
REL 109Intro to Christian Thought

1 Course Credit

REL 201The Study of Ritual

1 Course Credit

REL 212Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities

1 Course Credit

REL 225Images of Jesus

1 Course Credit

REL 235Christian 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 225Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS)

1 Course Credit

PHI 104Morality, Law & Philosophy

1 Course Credit

PHI 214Approaches to Ethics

1 Course Credit

PHI 215Thinking About God

1 Course Credit

PSJ 100Fnd of Peace & Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 113/COM 113Conflict and Mediation (COM)

1 Course Credit

PSJ 210Diversity and Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 218Voices 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 100Study of Religions

1 Course Credit

REL 302Studies in Global Rels & Spirs

1 Course Credit

Required Capstone Course

REL 480Sem 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 spiritualities, 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 105Intro to Old Testament

1 Course Credit

REL 238African Amer Rel Traditn (AFR)

1 Course Credit

REL 240Islam

1 Course Credit

REL 250Judaism

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

AFR 103Survey of African His (HIS)

1 Course Credit

AFR 165/HIS 165Intro to Afr-Amer History(HIS)

1 Course Credit

APS 235Humans & Nature in Sthrn. App.

1 Course Credit

HIS 231The Holocaust

1 to 1.5 Course Credits

Area II Cultural Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
REL 136/AFR 136African Trad Religion (AFR)

1 Course Credit

REL 204The Study of Spirituality

1 Course Credit

REL 211/WGS 211Rel, Spirituality, Gender(WGS)

1 Course Credit

REL 228Archaeology & Christian Script

1 Course Credit

REL 255Therapeutic Hrsemnshp(ANRHHP)

1 Course Credit

REL 271/AST 271/PHI 271South Asian Phil (AST, PHI)

1 Course Credit

REL 281/PHI 281Islamic Philosophy (PHI)

1 Course Credit

Students also may choose one course from the following list of courses:

AFR 234/MUS 234Afr-Amer Mus:Overview(MUS)

1 Course Credit

APS 220/WGS 220Gender in Appalachia (WGS)

1 Course Credit

APS 230/AFR 230African Americans-Appal (AFR)

1 Course Credit

ARH 230Topics in Latin American Art

1 Course Credit

CFS 201Sexualty Everyday Life SOC,WGS

1 Course Credit

CLS 110/HHP 110Sport/Spect Greece/Rome (HHP)

1 Course Credit

ENG 141/AFR 141African-American Lit (AFR)

1 Course Credit

PSY 230Psych of Women & Gender (WGS)

1 Course Credit

WGS 302Intro to Queer Theory

1 Course Credit

Area III Normative Studies in Religions, Spiritualities, and Social Justice
REL 212Rel, Rhetorics & Rationalities

1 Course Credit

REL 235Christian Ethics

1 Course Credit

REL 271/AST 271/PHI 271South Asian Phil (AST, PHI)

1 Course Credit

REL 281/PHI 281Islamic 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 225Envr Justice(SENS/APS/PSJ/WGS)

1 Course Credit

AST 240/SOC 240/WGS 240Kinshp/Gen SE Asia (SOC/WGS)

1 Course Credit

PHI 104Morality, Law & Philosophy

1 Course Credit

PHI 214Approaches to Ethics

1 Course Credit

PSJ 100Fnd of Peace & Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 113/COM 113Conflict and Mediation (COM)

1 Course Credit

PSJ 210Diversity and Social Justice

1 Course Credit

PSJ 218Voices of Non-violence

1 Course Credit

To learn more about program entrance and other degree progression requirements, please follow this link.