Religion & Philosophy
Mission Statement
The faculty of the Religion & Philosophy program is dedicated to challenging and supporting students to think critically and creatively and to enhance their communication skills as they deal with fundamental issues of self, world, and God. The program provides a safe, caring, and ethical community where students are allowed to grow and mature as global citizens.
Learning Objectives
The overall learning objectives of the Religion & Philosophy program are that students are enabled to do the following:
- Students will demonstrate an ability to think critically about religious traditions by being informed by a variety of perspectives. These perspectives include not only the range of positions within Christian history and theology, but also when appropriate, inter-faith perspectives are included as well.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to respond creatively to these received traditions by approaching issues from a first person perspective and making personal responses to them, informed by insights they have gained from other academic disciplines.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to explore their own faith commitment in a complex global world and enlarge their perspectives of the world, as well as be prepared for leadership in a pluralistic and increasingly international context.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in writing and speaking and to conduct undergraduate research.
- Students will demonstrate that they are prepared for graduate studies in Religion or Philosophy and/or to work effectively in church settings by gaining competence in these areas: (1) biblical studies, (2) history, (3) theology, ethics, and social scientific study of religion, (4) philosophy, (5) church leadership.
Assessment of Learning Objectives
Success in achieving the objectives of the Religion & Philosophy major will be measured by the following assessments:
- Course papers evaluated by a common grading rubric
- Senior Thesis/Project
- Performance on the NSSE and CLA assessment instruments
- Performance evaluations in internships, where applicable
- Exit Interviews of graduating seniors
- Graduate School Acceptance, where applicable
- Success in church ministry settings, where applicable
- Periodic review of the program by an outside evaluator
Course Descriptions (RLGN and PHIL)
Core Exploratory Courses:
Explorations of the Christian Faith
Completion of any course in this area (1000-level courses) will meet the college’s Core requirement for an Exploratory Studies course in Religion. These courses have no prerequisites.
A directed study normally taken in the fall of the senior year. The student should choose a project director from within the Religion & Philosophy faculty and work with this director to refine a topic in the semester prior to which the student enrolls for the course. Thus, most students should select a director and topic by the end of the spring semester of the junior year.
Prerequisite: Application to Religion & Philosophy Program Coordinator
Majors and Minors
Major Minor
B.A. in Religion and Philosophy Minor in ReligionCourses
An introduction to the Christian tradition of faith through a study of its central symbols, sacred texts, and practices.
A study of the Hebrew bible, commonly called by Christians the Old Testament, in the context of the ancient near eastern world. The course asks students to reflect on the impact of the Hebrew bible on Western civilization and its implications for the contemporary world.
A study of the New Testament writings in the context of Greco-Roman civilization. The course asks students to reflect on the impact of Christian scriptures on Western civilization and consider their implications for the contemporary world.
The course places the insights of the Christian faith in dialogue with those of major living world religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Confucianism, and Daoism.
A study of contemporary ethical issues in the light of the moral traditions central to the Christian faith. The course examines such issues as marriage and family, war and peace, racism, abortion, and the environment. Servant leadership component.
This course will be an investigation of the origins of denominationalism in America. The class will read a history of American Christianity, but will look further afield by analyzing some of the particularly American expressions such as Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Science. The course will enable students to answer questions about their own denominations and the now global framework of movements such as Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism.
Contemporary debates over intelligent design, climate change, evolution, and stem cell research demonstrate the lively and sometimes contentious interactions between science and religious faith. Students will develop personal positions about the relationship of science and religion and develop ethical perspectives on such controversial biomedical practices as human reproduction, genetic engineering, and end-of-life care.
This course explores the inherent value of the Earth, examines the human impact on the environment, and explores ways to address the present global environmental crisis with Biblical and theological resources. Students will become acquainted with some prominent thinkers and theologians who are taking action regarding environmental concerns while discovering sustainable connections between theological reflection and ethical living.
A beginning course designed to teach the fundamentals of Hellenistic or Koine Greek, which includes the language of the New Testament. Completion of the two course sequence in Greek will fulfill the college’s foreign language requirement.
A continuation of RLGN 2120.
A survey of the history of the Christian Church from the close of the Apostolic age to the end of the Middle Ages.
A study of the growth of Christianity into a world-wide religion, highlighting Christianity in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
A history of the Christian Church from the reformation era to the modern period.
This course examines the role that religion played and continues to play in American race relations and racial identities. The course will study the history and the theorists of the civil rights movement, but also dynamics of race and religion in America’s newer immigrant communities.
An examination of models of non-violent social change that are grounded in religious faith commitments. The course focuses on the Christian faith tradition but works comparatively with figures and movements from Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. The course includes practice in the skills of peace-building that are guided by the principles of restorative justice.
A study of the prophets and prophetic movements in ancient Israel, as well as modern day prophets who continue this tradition in the contemporary context.
An examination of the origin and expansion of the early Christian Church, with studies in the Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles.
An examination of one of the four canonical gospels with emphasis on the historical context, history of interpretation, and modern appropriations of the text.
A survey of the history, theology, and polity of the United Methodist Church. A prerequisite for this course requires any one religion core course.
A survey of the development of Christian thought, with particular attention to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
A study of the moral issues related to sexuality, gender roles, and family life. Topics vary per offering, but may include ethical reflection on such topics as the meaning and purpose of sexuality, gender roles, pre-marital and extra-marital sexuality, homosexuality, and family structure. We will compare the range of positions on these issues within Christianity, and also compare them with positions in other world faiths. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course. This course is also cross-listed as GNDR3320.
A sociological analysis of the interplay between religion and culture. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
A study of the nature of missions and missional work through modern and historical texts, theory and theology, and practical, hands-on engagement. Students will explore the field of missions as both calling and career, as they embrace a servant leadership focus and sustainable practices.
A study of issues confronting those participating in a local church setting. Required of all students in the Internship. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
The study and practice of Christian worship in its historical and contemporary contexts. Topics include the theology of worship, sacraments, liturgy, and the place of music in worship. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
The study and practice of ministry to persons from adolescence through young adulthood. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
Supervised participation in the local church setting. May be repeated for credit up to 6 hours. See Program Chair for permission to enroll.
The study of the leadership styles and skills necessary for leadership of an institution. Topics may include institutional dynamics, leading institutional change, working with volunteers, avoiding burnout, and racial and gender issues in leadership. A prerequisite for this course is any one religion core course.
A seminar course on a major subject of concern based on individual research and assigned readings.
A directed study normally taken in the fall of the senior year. The student should choose a project director from within the Religion & Philosophy faculty and work with this director to refine a topic in the semester prior to which the student enrolls for the course. Thus, most students should select a director and topic by the end of the spring semester of the junior year.
A survey of major philosophical themes and figures that were formative in Western civilization.
A study of the major philosophical understandings of morality and the good life.
An introduction to the logic of propositions with attention to the structure and evaluation of informal arguments. The rhetoric of persuasion and its use of logic and emotions are discussed.
An investigation of problems related to philosophical reflection on religious thought and experience. A prerequisite for this course is at least one prior course in philosophy.
An introduction to the basic ideas of political philosophy. Topics considered include the social and historical context of political theory, the development of major ideas in political philosophy, critical analysis of theoretical arguments, and the relation of political theory to contemporary politics. This course is also cross-listed as POLS3340.
A study of the ethical issues raised by the practice of nursing, medicine, and biomedical research.
A seminar course on a major subject of concern in philosophy based on individual research and assigned readings. A prerequisite for this course is at least one prior course in philosophy.
