Religion

At Reinhardt University, the study of religion fosters active engagement with the many ways human beings construct lives of purpose and meaning. Students might be motivated to study religion for different reasons, including interest in local and global religious traditions, social issues and ethical responsibility, the ways human beings in the past and present have contended with conflict and hardship within religious frameworks, and how people have expressed the religious dimensions of their personal and communal realities. To live in the world is to encounter religion. Therefore, the Religion Program equips students with skills of analysis and appreciation, attentiveness to context, and experience with research and interpretation that will help them contribute to their communities in ways that are self-aware, constructive, and informed.

Students who major in Religion are prepared for a wide array of pursuits after graduation, including work in religious communities, non-profit organizations, and graduate education in religion, theology, law, medicine, public health, social work, among many other options.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of their degree, Religion majors will be able to:

1. Examine and analyze religious text and practices within their historical and cultural contexts.

2. Identify and use an array of methodological approaches to the study of religion.

3. Demonstrate the ability to participate in productive dialogue and discussion about issues related to the study of Religion in the 21st Century.

Special Features and Activities

• Religion major students are offered the opportunity to participate in the following activities:
• Visits to and study of various north Georgia religious communities.
• Publication of their own student essays in selected classes, blogs or magazines.
• Hear and discuss issues with well-known church and academic scholars and leaders.
• Participate in mission trips sponsored by the Chaplain’s office to places like Texas, Kentucky, Mexico, Jamaica, Honduras, Venezuela, and Poland.
• Discuss with religious practitioners various forms of ministry to better discover one’s own calling and vocation.
• Participate in regular and planned visits to Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
• Present research at the Robert L. Driscoll Convocation of Artists and Scholars.
• Serve non-for-profit organizations