Religious Studies Department

Religious Studies I provides students with the opportunity to explore and come to a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and its roots in the Jewish tradition. The year includes an introduction to Scripture, important figures of the Hebrew Scriptures, Catholic Christianity, and Christian morality and decision-making.

Who is my neighbor? Why are there social and economic disparities in our world? How am I uniquely called and gifted to live a life of compassionate service? These questions are critical to this Service-Learning course, which combines service in the community with reflection on Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching in order to develop thoughtful responses to the injustices of our time. Special emphasis will be given to the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, which include poverty, non-violence, environmental justice, women’s issues, racial justice, and immigration. Not only are students able to analyze root causes of injustice, but they are also able to design their own educational, direct service, and advocacy projects around the issues they are most passionate about.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the major religious traditions that exist today: “wisdom traditions” that have been with us for the past 6,000 years that shape our culture and history. Students explore major Eastern traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, and Islam and how religion affects our modern world. This course supports students in better understanding the variety of views that exist in our complex and diverse world, thus fostering a genuine respect for these traditions. One of the central goals of this course is to gain a better understanding of the spirituality and belief systems of other faiths, so that each student is better able to articulate her own spirituality and belief system. Students will also explore the practice of meditation and its implications for mindfulness in the world. 

Women's Studies in Religion looks at the ways in which women are portrayed in Scripture and religious art, especially examining cultural constraints on women's actions and moments where women broke with societal norms. The course explores influential women from across many faith traditions, looking at how their faith and beliefs influenced their actions and work. Throughout the course, students incorporate both intersectionality and the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching to help them understand the multiple identities of all persons and how they interact with faith.