Department Mission
The work of the department of religion studies at 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.
Learning Goals
- Gain religious literacy in the beliefs and practices within and among different religious traditions, including those that have been historically marginalized and underrepresented.
- Understand theoretical approaches to the study of religion voiced by a diverse range of scholars, and think critically with and about them.
- Engage in independent research and analysis of primary materials through application of theoretical approaches.
- Develop applicable and enduring skills promoting cultural sensitivity and tools for responsible participation in diverse local and global communities.
- Articulate the value of the study of religion for ethical civic engagement.
