Religious Studies

Religion or religious education, is a multidisciplinary academic field, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically-based and cross-cultural aspects. While theology attempts to understand the intentions of supernatural forces (such as a deity), religious studies is trying to study human behavior and religious beliefs of any particular religious point of view. Religious study is based on several disciplines and methodologies, including anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy and history of religion. Religion offers a variety of disciplinary perspectives of religion and history, literature, thought and practice of certain religious traditions. The Department is home to dozens of regular faculty, with particularly strong in the study of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam, it receives about thirty students, graduate students and about as many students of specialties.