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Curriculum
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Religion @ Earlham
 To study Religion is to reflect both sympathetically
and critically on the ways in which human beings understand themselves
and act in relationship to the world. This study encompasses
matters of faith, action, human existence and the crises that
have faced
civilizations over time. Students at Earlham who choose to major
in Religion find that they do so for many reasons. Some are fascinated
by the rich traditions of the world’s religions and want to
study those more fully. Others are drawn to the study of Religion
as a way to explore questions of life’s meaning, purpose and
worth. It is this balance between intellection exploration of religion
and personal seeking that allows all students of Religion at Earlham
to explore the “big” questions in life: why are we
here? What are we supposed to do? What is good? What is evil?
Many of the Religion courses at Earlham focus on Western
Christianity, including biblical traditions, Quakerism and peace
studies. Other
courses deal with the religions of the world: Judaism, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Islam, the religions of Africa and East Asia, and ancient
religions. Such study also includes consideration of the faiths
and worldviews of people in different cultures, and explores
the role
religion plays in current events. Students at Earlham learn to
ask significant questions about these cultures using the tools
of many
disciplines, including history, literature, theology, philosophy,
biblical studies and the social sciences. Other courses at Earlham
are interdisciplinary: Natural Science and Religion, Feminist Spirituality,
Sociology of Religion, and Religion and Psychology, for example.
Introductory courses allow students to focus on Buddhism, Hinduism,
Christianity, African American Church history and East Asian Religion;
other smaller seminars focus on more specialized topics.
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 church and for public service agencies.
Others have gone into such diverse fields as medicine, banking,
publications,
public relations and library science.
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