Academic Program

Religious Studies

Professor Baker; Associate Professor Melnick Dyer (chair); Assistant Professors Attallah, Boomer (Art and Visual Culture, Classical and Medieval Studies), and Moss

Religious Studies is a humanistic and social-scientific field of study that explores the religious and spiritual practices of individuals and cultures worldwide. In doing so, it employs multiple methods of study, including those associated with history, literature, ethnography, political science, anthropology, sociology, decolonial, gender, and critical race theories, philosophy, psychology, natural sciences, performing arts, archaeology, visual and material culture studies, and theology. Majors and minors are encouraged to explore how their studies in other fields intersect with religious studies questions, concerns, and methods.

Religious Studies majors work closely with members of the department in designing their program of study.  All majors a) take courses at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels; b) gain breadth and depth in their understanding of a variety of religious traditions and practices; and c) develop skills in a wide array of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of religion. The Religious Studies Research Seminar, taken in the fall of one’s junior or senior year, is the only course required of every major. The department strongly encourages and supports completion of a thesis project, which is required for those whose sole major is Religious Studies. Completion of a thesis project is optional for those double majors who will complete their Bates W3 requirement in their other major. The department also strongly encourages study abroad, and students may petition to count up to two credits earned abroad toward the major or minor.

More information is available on the Religious Studies department website.

Curriculum
Planning

Course Offering Plan

The Religious Studies department provides the following list of possible course offerings for student planning purposes. The course list gives students valuable information regarding the variety and number of courses that will be offered in the future and is useful for students wishing to plan out their course of study over multiple years. The courses listed are not guaranteed to be offered and are subject to change.

Fall 2027

  • TBD First-Year Seminar
  • REL 112 Introduction to Islam: Religion, Practice, and Culture
  • REL 140 Religion, Race, & Colonialism: An Introduction to Religious Studies
  • REL 160 Sacred Ecologies
  • REL 2XX – New introduction to Judaism course
  • REL 3XX – New seminar course
  • REL 450 Religious Studies Research Seminar

Winter 2028

  • REL 171 Black Gods & Black Magic: African American Religious Traditions
  • REL 207 Eve, Adam, and the Serpent
  • REL 256 Spiritual But Not Religious: The History of American Spirituality
  • REL 272 Islam in the Americas
  • REL 274 Quran: Text, Culture, Arts
  • REL 2XX – New religion & literature course
  • REL 313 Human Suffering: Job, Genesis, and Revelation

Short Term 2028

  • REL S21 Representations of Jesus in Film

Fall 2028

  • TBD First-Year Seminar
  • REL 140 Religion, Race, & Colonialism: An Introduction to Religious Studies
  • REL 235 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
  • REL 256 Spiritual But Not Religious: The History of American Spirituality
  • REL 450 Religious Studies Research Seminar

Winter 2029

  • REL 160 Sacred Ecologies
  • REL 171 Black Gods & Black Magic: African American Religious Traditions
  • REL 1XX – New religion and politics course
  • REL 236 Introduction to the New Testament
  • REL 2XX – New evangelicalism & christian nationalism course

Short Term 2029

  • REL S25 Food and the Sacred OR REL S29 Practicing Religious Pluralism: Case Studies in Interreligious Relations

Our course catalog may include more information on Religious Studies, its programs, courses, and requirements.

Full Catalog Listing