RELIGION DEPARTMENT GOALS FOR THE MAJOR

In response to IWU curricular planning and assessment and our own curricular changes, the faculty of the Religion Department regularly discuss the structure and content of our undergraduate major.  We have agreed that the requirements of the major should reflect the best practices of our fields—in history of religions, biblical and textual studies, and philosophy of religion—and provide the best possible breadth and depth in religious studies.

The development of both the major and minor are guided by the following:

“What should an undergraduate expect to gain from a concentration in the study of religion?”
(“Liberal Learning and the Religion Major,” 8)

1.  The understanding--in depth--of the culture and history of at least two religious traditions
2.  The understanding of the concept of “religion” and the difficulty in definition and study
3.  The understanding of the importance of empathy
4.  Awareness of the different critical methods useful in studying religion
5.  Awareness of the most significant themes in the comparative studies of religions

--based on the 1990 publication “Liberal Learning and the Religion Major,” the
summary report of the AAC-sponsored project “Study in Depth.”

For more information or for a copy of the full report, “Liberal Learning and the Religion Major,” please contact the Religion Department chair.