Discern the role of religion for individuals, cultures and societies in a context of free inquiry and critical examination.
Students of religion explore some of the most fascinating areas of the human experience. Among other questions, they inquire into the many understandings of reality and the many manifestations of sacred practice across cultures. Religion is a field of study that is both personally rewarding and highly relevant in its applications to the contemporary world.
Our students learn to discern the role of religion for individuals, cultures, and societies. They study and compare the myths, symbols, and rituals of various religious traditions in a context of free inquiry and critical examination. Through their studies they come to recognize the internal coherence and distinctiveness of diverse worldviews.
In keeping with the enormous changes in the world and the increasing controversy surrounding religious issues, the department seeks to provide students the opportunity to explore religious diversity in many different historic and contemporary forms, including religions of East and South Asia, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Habits of Mind
Through our curriculum, graduates learn to read closely, think critically, discuss insightfully, and write analytically. These skills are the heart of a liberal arts education. Our program of study prepares students for whatever educational and professional paths they may choose and builds their capacity to be lifelong learners.
Join faculty and students from Religion Studies, Jewish Studies, and Asian Studies for coffee, snacks, and conversation!
Surveying the beliefs, practices, and history of Islam and what it means to consider Islam as a religion rather than a cultural or political entity.
Understanding the social significance and political function that asserting the power to speak with the divine has provided people in the past and today.
Introduction to the origins, evolution, and manifestations of Buddhism in scripture, practice, and artistic expression.
Does modernity mark the end of religion? Does modernity shape religion or does religion shape modernity?
Examining the development of diverse Jewish communities from antiquity to the modern era.
A course on Tibetan Buddhism gave Monica Arora ’15 a new perspective on humanity in medicine. Religion studies alumni Jeremy Fuchs ’14 discusses its impact on her career.
Associate Professor of Religion Studies Jessica Cooperman emphasizes the importance of primary documents to tell history and focus on the future.
The founder of Allentown’s Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, Adrian Shanker ’09, continues to work to make the unmet dream of health equity for the LGBTQ community a reality in his new role at the Bay Area’s Spahr Center.
The First Friday series is focused on understanding religious diversity in and beyond the College’s local community.
The Africana Studies Program and the From the Ashes Series present "A Conversation with Rebecca Walker" about her memoir, "Black, White and Jewish."
He was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration and sworn in yesterday.
