Department Chair: Kristin Bloomer, Associate Professor of Religion
The study of religion in all its facets is central to the goals of a liberal education: fostering a deeper understanding of what it means to be human by examining how people in diverse times and places have developed ideas and practices related to what is most real and valuable in human life. At Carleton, the study of religion is pursued as a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary field of inquiry within the humanities and social sciences.
Can I major in it? Yes, a major is offered.
Topics explored: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American religions, the religions of East Asia and South Asia, and the relation between religion and, e.g., culture, race, politics, gender, philosophy, and ethics.
How to get started: Recommended courses for first-year students include:
- RELG 110: Understanding Religion
- RELG 111: Introduction to the Qur’an
- RELG 120: Introduction to Judaism
- RELG 121: Introduction to Christianity
- RELG 122: Introduction to Islam
- RELG 130: Native American Religion
- RELG 140: Religion & American Culture
- RELG 155: Hinduism: An Introduction
- RELG 152: Japanese Religion and Culture
- RELG 153: Introduction to Buddhism
- RELG 155: Hinduism: An Introduction
- RELG 162: Jesus, the Bible, and Christian Beginnings