Religion Degrees Online

Added to the great heritage and glorious tradition in education excellence, Mysore University has the unique distinction of being the first university to have started a Department of Christian Studies in India.

The decision to establish a department was made in December 1981. Before this a Chair in Christianity, started in July 1979, was already existing in the University with an endowment from the Diocese of Mysore. To establish from a Chair in Christianity to a full-fledged and independent Department of Christian studies was a gesture of magnanimity and breadth of vision on the part of the University authorities in the best interests and the high ideals of the University, one of the most eminent seats of learning in the country, manifesting and confirming the open minded and secular out-look of the Government of Karnataka.

The goal and purpose of starting a department of Christian studies was to promote the overall aim of research teaching and publication in the study of Christianity as an academic and scientific discipline and to bring it into the mainstream and crossroads of secular thinking and the various ideologies in India and thus enable it to participate in the shaping of National policies for the integral development of India.

The department promotes advanced studies and research in Christianity in a secular, multi religious and interdisciplinary context. It nourishes higher learning concerning religion in dialogue with other cultures and ideologies. It promotes national integration and social harmony through research into those basics of religion that are common to all denominations.

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies is perfectly tailored for men and women who want to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, but cannot take traditional semester-oriented college courses. Offered as part of the popular Summer Institute Program, Master of Arts in Biblical Studies offers core classes on campus during 3 weeks in July, as well as electives via independent study. The mission of the program is to provide you with the breadth of biblical training required for effective service to Christ and His Church. It empowers you to go deeper in your ability to comprehend, apply, practice, and proclaim the Word of God.

You will have the opportunity to study abroad in Israel through our Israel Bible Extension program, and in Greece and Turkey through our New Testament Extension program. You will hear from faculty who have led missions teams, taught and led study tours of Israel, planted churches, and presented papers at regional and national meetings. They have served as pastors, professors, authors, research scholars, editors, seminary presidents, and theologians; have been the recipients of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award; and have been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

If you have a hunger for the Word of God and would like graduate and professional level study of the Scriptures, then you may want to consider this new opportunity at The Master’s College. The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in the Summer Institute Program (SIP) commenced this summer—the first, second, and third weeks of July.

Course Work
The Area requires that students take HR 6001 (Seminar on Interdisciplinarity and Religious Studies) in their first fall semester. They must also take HR 6006 (Issues in Contemporary Study of Religion), offered by the Area. Students are also expected to work with their advisors to identify and take courses that will prepare them for broad certification and comprehensives. Students doing the teaching preparation comprehensives (below) must take IDS 6016 (Seminar on Course Design and Syllabus Development).

Comprehensive Examinations
In the course of their studies, students are expected to establish a broad grounding in their tradition or culture of specialization and in their chosen methodology. Students submit a statement of prior or current course work, reading, examinations, or writing that will serve as Certification of Broad Grounding. With broad grounding certified, Comprehensive Examinations are somewhat more focused and lead to the dissertation and the specific teaching and writing goals of the student.

The Area requires four Comprehensive Examinations.
Religious tradition or culture of specialization
The student will have certified breadth in a particular tradition as part of Certifying Broad Grounding. The tradition may be a religious tradition (e.g., Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, and indigenous tradition) or a religious culture, such as that of India, China, or Ghana (any of which would include several traditions). The broad tradition or culture of specialization should be sufficiently broad to serve as a “job category” for purposes of hiring.

Since the student has completed Certification of Broad Grounding in the tradition or culture, this Comprehensive Examination will focus on the student’s significant specialization within the tradition (an historical period, a major theme—e.g. Chan or Zen Buddhism, Modern Jewish Thought, Religious pluralism in contemporary India).

This examination is normally taken as a closed-book timed exam, meeting the GTU requirement that comprehensives include such an examination.

Methodology
Scholars in religious studies use a wide range of methodologies (historical, philological, interpretive, anthropological, feminist, critical, postcolonial, etc.) The required course HR 6006, Issues in Contemporary Study of Religion, introduces students to a range of literature in religious studies using various methodologies and approaches, and encourages students to consider these literatures in relation to their own scholarly approaches. This examination will require the student to explore in some depth critical issues in a methodology that s/he intends to uses in his/her research. The student will develop a select bibliography in consultation with the comprehensive committee, and write a bibliographic essay or a critical essay on methodological issues.

Preparation for Teaching
This examination requires the student to prepare a full syllabus with clearly defined objectives, requirements, expectations, evaluation criteria, and a reading list for an introductory course with no prerequisites. The course can be an introductory course in the student’s religious tradition or culture of specialization (see exam 1), an introduction to the study of religion, a course on world religions, or an introductory course whose scope is broader than the student’s religious tradition or culture of specialization. The syllabus is to be accompanied by a 15-20 page paper describing the intellectual approach of the course and specifying the decisions made about both content and instruction. The bibliography should include literature on pedagogy as well as on the topic of the course. Students doing this comprehensive are required to take Doctoral Seminar IDS 6016 Seminar on Course Design and Syllabus Development as a context in which to develop this syllabus.

Students whose primary professional goals are other than teaching may petition for an alternative form of this comprehensive, designed to prepare them to meet their professional goals. The petition should include a project or course and paper equivalent in sophistication to the pedagogical requirement. The student would develop the petition with their advisor/committee and submit it to the Area for approval in principle prior to proposing comprehensives.

Research Paper
This paper represents the student’s distinctive approach to research in religious studies, using the methodology discussed in examination 2 in conjunction with the religious tradition or culture discussed in examination 1. The paper may be related to the topic of the dissertation, but should be a self-contained, autonomous 30-40 page research paper.

Admissions Requirements
An advanced degree in theology (i.e. a degree beyond the B.A. or its equivalent and focused in theology, e.g., one of the ordinary disciplines of Christian theology, such as Bible, Historical/Systematic theology, or Christian Ethics).

Diagnostic Interview
Upon admission to the program and prior to registration for classes, students will go through a diagnostic interview conducted by two Area faculty members to determine the breadth of the students’ prior academic experience in the interdisciplinary range of studies that support the study of Christian Spirituality. Courses will be chosen to broaden and deepen each student’s respective knowledge with particular attention given to prepare each student for their comprehensive examinations.

Language Requirements
Students are required to attain proficiency in two research languages other than their native language, one of which is ordinarily French or German, or Spanish, and the other an ancient or modern language pertinent to the student’s research.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the texts, history, and practices of the religious traditions that have shaped society, politics, and the arts for millennia. Home to eight full-time faculty, with close ties to faculty in a host of other programs and departments, we are known for our breadth, interdisciplinary emphasis, and strong teaching, not to mention active and diverse faculty scholarship. We offer courses in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and American religions as well as in theory and method.

Students interested in our undergraduate program can pursue a major or a minor or simply sample from a varied menu of introductory and advanced courses. Our graduate program offers concentrations in Buddhism in its Asian Context, Medieval Christianity, and Religion, Ethics and Public Life. We also teach continuing education courses through the School of Continuing Studies.

Major in Philosophy and Religion:
The program enables students to get a breadth of understanding of how the human search for meaning is interwoven into human cultures and societies. It offers students an exciting exposure to the central themes of Christianity, the diversity of the world’s religions, and the ways in which philosophers answer the great questions of life.

Students will normally include 3 credits of cross-cultural immersion experiences (as offered in various study-abroad courses.

Distinctive Elements
faculty are dedicated to excellence in teaching
small classes allow for individual attention; professors become acquainted with their students
well structured lectures mixed with classroom discussion, debates, student presentations, films, and guest speakers
learning within a cooperative and open atmosphere of appreciation for difference and diversity of worldviews and cultural values
emphasis is given to intellectual, personal, and spiritual development as well as responsible action in human society and the natural world

The major in Youth and Family Ministry prepares persons for faithful work as youth and family ministers in Christian congregations and other ministry settings. The “YFM” major—newly revised—is in keeping with Augsburg’s mission to nurture future leaders in service to the world.

This YFM major is interdisciplinary, combining a core study of theology, Bible, and ministry theory, with supporting coursework in the social sciences. A distinctive element of the major is the combination of practical and theological training: students will have many opportunities to apply their knowledge and discernment skills in specific ministry contexts. Course work completed for the major can be used to fulfill part of the requirements for Associate in Ministry (AIM) status in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

A distinctive element of the YFM major is the combination of theological education with practical training. Students participate in supervised contextual experiences, as preparation for their internship with a congregation or other ministry organization. Augsburg’s prime location in the heart of Minnesota’s “Twin Cities” offers a breadth of local ministry settings in which to translate education into action.

Requirement for Major in Religion:
A major in Religion requires 36 semester hours, as listed in the Lindenwood University Catalogue, divided as follows:
. 12 hours of required Religion courses
. 12 hours of elective Religion courses
. 12 hours chosen from a list of courses in other fields relating to religion, such as philosophy, literature, and the social sciences.

Requirements for Minor in Religion:
A minor in Religion requires 18 semester hours, including the following Religion courses:
. Introduction to Religion (REL 100)
. Philosophy of Religion (REL 325)

Benefits of Studying at Lindenwood University:
Either the major or the minor in Religion may readily be combined with other majors. A number of current Lindenwood students are double-majoring in Religion and some other discipline, which gives them a breadth of training and expertise that is invaluable in our modern world.

Lindenwood’s undergraduate degree program in Religion is excellent preparation for those planning to go on to seminary or to do further study for a church-related career or vocation. Also, there are many other careers in which a background in the academic study of religion is valuable or even required. For example, large news organizations are recognizing that an understanding of religion is necessary for comprehension of world events and are beginning to look for reporters who possess such an understanding. A recent Lindenwood graduate was hired as a librarian for a large city library partly because of her undergraduate minor in Religion, an area in which the library wished to expand its holdings. One student hoping for a career as a funeral director took Religion courses in order to better understand the various customs and beliefs of the families with whom he would be working.

All of full-time Religion faculty at Lindenwood University hold doctoral degrees in the field. They are also people of faith who come out of one specific faith tradition. They are examples that members of the academic community can have strong personal beliefs and still approach the study of religion from a scholarly perspective that is recognized and respected around the world.

Major in Philosophy and Religious Studies
With the unique combination of skills they possess, majors in Philosophy and Religious Studies have gone on to success in many areas. In most professions, an advanced degree is the next step after the B.A. Studying Philosophy and Religious Studies is excellent preparation for advanced study in fields such as:

Business
Education (secondary or higher education)
Journalism
Law
Medicine
Religious leadership (seminary/divinity school)

Graduate schools are on the lookout for unique, well-rounded candidates, those with both a breadth of knowledge and the ability to analyze, interpret, and make judgments about detailed subject matter. The program in Philosophy and Religious Studies at MMC promotes exactly this profile.

Most employers are looking for similar kinds of skills. Possessing a specialized knowledge-base is not enough: whether a prospective employee has learned how to learn—whether he or she can see patterns, make arguments, absorb and then evaluate data, and so on—is just as important, if not more so. Many businesses and non-profit organizations also search for employees who keep the bigger picture in mind, who have cultural literacy and big ideas, but also some grounding in deeper values. Because of the unique preparation it bestows in these areas, the major in Philosophy and Religious Studies has an extra edge in a competitive job market.

But the best thing one can do with this major, regardless of one’s chosen career, is to live reflectively: to know more about the world, to ask the right questions (which are sometimes difficult), to examine these questions carefully, and to construct a solid response. Concentrating in Philosophy and Religious Studies, in short, marks not only the beginning of a profession; it also leads to a holistic and rewarding approach to life.

Jewish Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary Jewish Studies Minor gives students a basic grounding in the history, literature, thought and primary language of Jewish civilization. The minor in Jewish studies adds breadth to any major and is useful for students seeking to enter the workplace right after college, as well as those who intend to apply to graduate programs such as medicine, law or business. In conjunction with a major in political science, history, or religion, the minor in Jewish studies can also help prepare students for graduate programs in Middle Eastern studies, Jewish history or Jewish studies. Required courses are flexible in order to tailor the minor to the student’s needs.