Religion
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Plan of Study

General Education Requirements

The Department offers four courses that fulfill the Comparative Practices Requirement: REL 155, 210, 285 and 342; three courses that fulfill the Domestic component of the Perspectives on Diversity Requirement: REL 230 and 330; and nine courses that fulfill the International component of the Perspectives on Diversity Requirement: REL 155, 165, 171, 172, 180, 285, 310, 380 and 425. The Department also regularly offers Earlham Seminars and Interpretive Practices courses.

The Religion curriculum integrates General Education learning goals with the wider learning goals of the study of religion. Earlham Seminars teach students the essential skills of close analysis of texts, critical thinking, cogent writing, and effective public presentations while introducing them to religion as a discipline. Interpretive Practices and Comparative Practices enhance these developing skills with the ability to synthesize themes and materials from different disciplines and genres.

Courses fulfilling Domestic and International Diversity requirements introduce students to multiple perspectives on the nature of ultimate reality, humanity, and social relations, and to the role that religion plays in promoting or resisting injustice and violence. They challenge students to entertain multiple worldviews sympathetically, to ponder the nature of religion itself in all its expressions, and to learn to respectfully negotiate differences of culture and belief in classroom and community.

In addition to these General Education goals, students majoring and minoring in Religion should be able to understand how religion constructs their own and others’ cultures; to grasp religion as a multi-faceted phenomenon and make interdisciplinary connections between religion and other fields of experience and study; to understand the role that religion plays globally in promoting conflict and peace; to demonstrate awareness of the variety of issues and methods in the modern study of religion; and integrate rigorous intellectual inquiry with commitment to a particular faith or way of life.

The Major

Religion as a major field of study provides a center around which to integrate liberal arts studies as well as a background for vocations such as ministry, teaching, counseling and social work.

Students majoring in Religion are expected to take a minimum of 32 credits. Majors work with their adviser to develop a program that challenges them and meets their particular needs.

  • Coursework must include four common courses:

    • REL 310 Is Religion"T(t)rue"?

    • REL 360 World Faiths, World News

    • REL 480 Text Seminar

    • REL 488 Senior Capstone Experience: Research Seminar

  • At least one course from Block A and one from Block B:

    Block A

    • REL 171 Hindu Traditions

    • REL 172 Buddhist Traditions of the World

    • REL 180 Islam

    • REL 285 Judaism

    • REL 380 Religions of East Asia

    Block B

    • REL 155 Hebrew Scriptures

    • REL 165 New Testament

    • REL 210 Quakerism

    • REL 230 History of African American Religious Experience

  • Two upper-level (300+) elective courses in Religion

  • Remaining credits from among any of the offerings in Religion

The Minor

A Minor in Religion consists of 20 credits, which together must satisfy the following requirements:

  • At least two upper-level (300+) courses, including REL 320 Is Religion "T(t)rue"?

  • At least one course from Block A and one from Block B:

    Block A

    • REL 171 Hindu Traditions

    • REL 172 Buddhist Traditions of the World

    • REL 180 Islam

    • REL 285 Judaism

    • REL 380 Religions of East Asia

    Block B

    • REL 155 Hebrew Scriptures

    • REL 165 New Testament

    • REL 210 Quakerism

    • REL 230 History of African American Religious Experience

  • Electives from general Religion offerings