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Religion About the Department To study religion is to reflect sympathetically and critically on the ways in which human beings understand themselves and structure their lives with regard to the ultimate conditions of human existence and the crises facing our civilization. In Earlham's Religion Department, students may focus on matters of faith personally important to them, or study Religion as a major component of ancient and modern cultures and their ethical and political systems. Such study includes considering the faiths and worldviews of persons in different cultures and polities and learning to ask significant questions about these using the tools of many disciplines, including history, literature, theology, philosophy, biblical studies and the social sciences. Coursework encompasses biblical traditions, Quakerism and peace studies, as well as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and the religions of Africa, East Asia and the Americas, often with attention to their interrelations. Other offerings are expressly interdisciplinary, such as: Is Religion "T(t)rue"?, Criminal Justice and Moral Vision, Sociology of Religion, Philosophy of Religion, and Religion and Psychology. Students also may engage in collaborative research projects with faculty on specific topics of interest. Past topics have included: "The Sermons of Oscar Romero," "The Sacredness of Friendship," "Muslim/Christian Dialogue," "The Spirituality of Early Quaker Letters," "Klezmer Music" and "In the Spirit with Toni Morrison." Students major in religion for many reasons. Some are fascinated by the rich traditions of the world's religions and want to study those more fully. Others want to explore questions of life's meaning, purpose and worth. Some are drawn to religion's integrative dimension. Others want to understand religious strife and the possibilities for dialog in the contemporary world. These students combine aspects of their cocurricular activities with their academic work in Religion. For example, students apply what they learn in Religion classes to their experiences on off-campus programs. Also, student activists develop paper topics that relate to such concerns as the environment or human rights. Graduates of the program have gone on to a variety of fields of study and work. Some prepare for the ministry in one of its traditional forms at a seminary or divinity school, while others have spent one or two years after graduation working throughout the country and the world for social service agencies sponsored by religious bodies. Some students go on to graduate school to prepare for careers in college or university teaching, and a number become interested in counseling, both for the religious and for public service agencies. Others have gone into such diverse fields as the arts, medicine, banking, publications, public relations and library science. |
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Earlham College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |