Department of Religion Studies

Department Chair: Associate Professor William “Chip” Gruen
Associate Professor: Pettit
Assistant Professors: Cooperman, Nash, Takahashi
Lecturer: Albert

The work of the Religion Studies Department of Muhlenberg College is the academic investigation of religious traditions in their thought and practice. Faculty and students study cultural and intellectual responses to basic questions of life and meaning. Our discipline, exploring essential aspects of human experience, is inherently cross-cultural, multidisciplinary, and analytical. Its geography is global; its chronology extends from antiquity to the present. We analyze texts, beliefs, rituals, arts, communities, cultures, and their integration into coherent worldviews. Our methodologies as well as our content interact with disciplines spanning the liberal arts curriculum from the humanities to the social sciences to the sciences. For those with particular interest in Asian Traditions or Jewish Studies, programs are available. (See Asian Traditions Minor and Jewish Studies, A.B. , Jewish Studies Minor for more information.)

Special Programs

Honors Program

Students who wish to complete the Honors Thesis in Religion Studies must have a 3.70 grade point average in departmental courses and a 3.25 grade point average overall. The project will normally be undertaken in either semester of the senior year. A written proposal for this project must be approved by a faculty member in Religion Studies in the semester prior to the one in which the thesis will be completed. The proposal must consist of a working thesis, a detailed description of the project, and a preliminary bibliography. The culmination of the project will be a presentation for faculty and students at the end of the semester. Religion Studies faculty will determine whether Honors will be awarded upon completion of the thesis.

Programs

Major

Religion Studies, A.B.

Minor

Religion Studies Minor

Courses

Religion Studies

Course Offerings are distributed among the following categories:

	100 - 199: Themes and Motifs in the Study of Religion
		These courses introduce students to the academic study of religion by tracing patterns and themes across religious traditions. Courses are comparative, employing a wide range of media and applying worldview analysis to contextualize varieties of belief and practice.
	202 - 299: Religions of the World
		These are religion specific courses that provide an in-depth introduction to particular religious traditions or clusters of religions that have occurred in particular geographic locations.
	300 - 349: Religious Expressions (Texts, Rituals/Practices, Fine/Performing Arts)
		Religions have historically expressed themselves in a variety of formats, including texts, the arts, and ritual practice. In the history of religions, fine and performing arts as well as rituals and practices carry equal weight with texts. The departmental curriculum provides opportunities for students to explore diverse forms of religious expression. Courses focus on religions’ traditions or geographical areas.
	350 - 399: Religion, Person, and Society (Gender, Historical Moments, Politics, Psychology, Religious Thought)
		A series of advanced thematic courses which examine specific theoretical, historical, geographic, political, and philosophical contexts for specific religious beliefs and practices. Courses may focus on religious traditions or geographical areas or may emphasize theoretical approaches that apply across traditions.
	450 - 469: CUE: Capstone Seminars in the Study of Religion
		These courses provide a capstone experience for our majors and other advanced students. Faculty and students work together to explore a research topic in depth.