The study of religion is your opportunity to step back from one particular religion and observe all religions in context.  You can make useful comparisons and contrasts of the many religious beliefs, practices, and organizations the world over.  All religious phenomena are available for inspection, from prehistoric beginnings to contemporary expressions.

You will have an opportunity to explore:

• Sacred texts from many religions
• The history of selected religions
• Philosophical implications of religious truth-claims
• Religious competition in an increasingly secular world
• The intersection between religion and politics
• The relationship between religion and gender
• In-depth investigation of a specific religion

The variety of courses offered in religion permit you to build a major that fits your interests.  You might pursue how human cultures influence the expression of one or more religions.  You can study the philosophical foundations of a particular religion (or a particular cluster of religions), or you can study a classical language in which sacred texts were written, such as Chinese, Hebrew, or Greek.

You can even explore social, psychological and biological theories about why humans are a religious species.  The emphasis of your study will be determined by your passions for this vast and fascinating aspect of our lives.