Bachelor of Arts in Religious StudiesSchool of Arts and Sciences

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Understanding faith within our world today

Religious Studies is an academic discipline that seeks to understand the roles and perspectives of faith in all human endeavors. Rooted in a Catholic and Dominican tradition, our Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies degree will help you connect to other Christian communities, faith groups, and those without a faith perspective to bridge traditions, cultures, and relationships. If you are passionate about exploring profound questions and understanding how faith influences these dialogues on a local and global scale, then this major is the perfect fit for you.

Our religious studies curriculum is designed not to dictate what you should think or believe, but rather to equip you with the skills to comprehend the spiritual and religious beliefs of others. Through this understanding, you will also deepen your awareness of your own spirituality, leading to an enhanced quality of life. The study of religion encompasses a broad array of interests from historical and cultural analysis to philosophical inquiry and spiritual exploration. Students in this program tend to possess a natural curiosity and enjoy reflecting with the complex, ambiguous, and multifaceted concepts found in different religions. You will experience coursework that engages diverse perspectives by studying religious texts and traditions through multiple cultural, racial, and gendered lenses.

To comprehend how faith shapes our world, students will engage in experiential learning that expands beyond the classroom. The Greater Madison area boasts rich religious diversity, enabling students to establish enduring connections within a community where the pursuit of truth is actively embraced. From casual visits to joint events and long-term engagements, you will come to better understand the religious beliefs, rituals and organizations that nurture our lives and communities, shape society, and make history. Through examination and understanding, students develop sought after research, communication, and empathic leadership that is valued by employers.

Locations
Madison, WI

Formats
On-campus

Number of Credits
128

Next Start Date
January 21, 2025

Careers within Religious Studies

$60,540

Average annual salary for a Director of Religious Activities and Education

Bureau of Labor Statistics

A bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies prepares you for a variety of career paths.

Charity officer
Civil servant
Counselor
Curator
Diplomat
Director of Religious Education
Historian
Missionary
Teacher

Featured Courses in Religious Studies

Religious Studies 240 Personal Morality & Social Justice

An introduction to the theory and practice of Christian ethics in its personal, social, and cultural dimensions. Personal identity, moral character and conscience development, and ethical values and choices are explored, and issues of social justice are investigated utilizing case studies grouped around the themes of Catholic social teaching. Participants in the course will discover connections and contrasts between Christian ethical thought and their own perspectives on human persons and communities as moral agents, making decisions and acting on them within the limits of personal, historical, social, and cultural contexts.

Religious Studies 324 Exploring Christian Thought

An exploration of the basic concepts and themes of Christianity as taught in churches, understood by contemporary theologians, and expressed in the lives of believers. What is Faith? How do Christians understand God, creation, human beings, Jesus, sin, and evil? How is Christian spirituality practiced today? What is the relationship between Christianity and other religions? To answer these we consider a wide spectrum of theological perspectives, each of which is shaped by the diverse contexts of culture, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic location. The course highlights dimensions of faith which all Christians share as well as the beautiful diversity present within the Christian tradition.

Religious Studies 344 Women and Multicultural Theologies

How do women theologians from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds understand and discuss God, Jesus, human beings, the Bible, spirituality, ecology, and the roles of women in religion and society today? How to North American women “do theology” in their African-American, Latina, Native American, Asian-American, Euro-American and/or socio-economic contexts? What kinds of theology are women theologians in Latin America, Asia, and Africa doing? In what ways do race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, and nation shape the formation and development of Christian feminist theologies? From multicultural perspectives, this course explores the questions, experiences, values, concerns, and challenges that women bring to the understanding and practice of Christian faith and its implications for building a more just and compassionate world.

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Student Organizations

Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry is an organization designed for you to explore who you are, and how you connect to the world, others, and the Divine. As a community of leaders, students build relationships through activities and events that include volunteering, service-learning trips, meditation, prayer services, retreats, and more.

Faculty Spotlights

Associate Professor, Religious Studies

Jill Kirby

JKirby@edgewood.edu

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