 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Why study
religion?
In recent years it has become increasingly clear – for reasons good
and bad – that religions have a tremendous impact on the ways in
which people live their lives. To understand the modern world, one cannot
overlook the significance of religion.
The academic study of religion provides students with an excellent cross-cultural
grounding in the humanities and social sciences. The study of religion
is a challenging and personally rewarding area for those preparing for
any number of careers, including law, journalism, social work, government,
education, or professional service in religious institutions. Students
of international relations and foreign affairs frequently find a major
or a minor concentration in religion particularly helpful for better understanding
many of the longstanding ideological conflicts that affect contemporary
events. Students in the natural sciences frequently find a minor concentration
in religion appealing given the moral complexity of current technological
advances in the medical and health services.
For more information
about the virtues of religious studies, consult StudyReligion.org,
maintained by the American Academy of Religion.
What religions can I learn about?
The Department of Religion offers, through its lower-level courses, opportunities
for broad-based study of many religious traditions including Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and the religions of Africa, China,
and Japan. Through its upper-level courses, the Department offers opportunities
for in-depth study of specific religious traditions and literatures as
well as grounding in theoretical and philosophical problems relating to
the study of religion. The major and minor concentrations are structured
to encourage students to take advantage of the breadth of offerings within
the Department.
Who are the faculty?
The Department of Religion consists of a broad and diverse faculty of
distinguished experts in various religions, eastern and western, ancient
and modern. We also apply a broad array of disciplinary methods to the
study of religion: Our faculty includes anthropologists, historians, literary
scholars, and philosophers - all devoted to understanding the impact that
religion has had and continues to have in human society. Many University
Professors, including Nobel Prize winning Professor Elie Wiesel, also
offer courses through the Department. For more information, please visit
our Faculty page.
How can I find out more?
We take pride in offering our students personalized advising. For more
information on our courses, you should feel free to contact any departmental
professor in your field of interest. For general information on concentrating
in our Department (as a major or as a minor) please visit our admissions
page, or contact Administrative Coordinator Brenda Gardenour at
brensga@bu.edu or 617-353-2635.
Department of Religion
145/147 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215
College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
E: religion@bu.edu • P: 617.353.2636 • F: 617.358.3087