Religion Degrees Online

The Leiden master’s programme in Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible and New Testament) offers a unique opportunity to study the bible in its historical, material as literary context. A core programme focusing on key documents, a flexible programme of individual choice and the master’s thesis supplement each other and make sure that every student gets the best benefit from the many resources Leiden University can offer.

Whether you are interested in studying the Hebrew bible or the New Testament, the fundamental starting point will always be the text itself, profoundly studied in a core programme of philologically and historically oriented courses. Core courses offer the opportunity to make contact with classical problems and learn from the latest theories in research about key issues of textual interpretation. Since texts cannot be understood apart from their context, special attention will be devoted to relevant aspects of Ancient Near East cultures and the Classical World, including material remains and questions of interculturation. The programme is designed to enable every student to form his or her own opinion based on sound reasoning and solid argumentation.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures is dedicated to the study of the civilizations of China, Korea, Japan and India, in all their diversity. The rich cultural heritages of the region are covered in courses ranging from language, to literature, religion, thought, archaeology, and other aspects of culture. The department seeks to develop a profound appreciation of the unique insights and achievements of each indigenous culture, while understanding at the same time the multivalent interconnections that tie together the East Asian region as a whole.

Religion courses at Smith are critical and comparative, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural. They examine the nature and function of religious phenomena in the past and present of many cultures. They provide opportunities to analyze systems of belief and patterns of religious behavior, the history of religious traditions, the functions of religion in society, and various forms of religious expression such as myth, ritual, sacred story, sacred texts, liturgy, and theological and philosophical reflection.

In the department’s view, a student’s personal religious perspective is not a consideration for entering or for successfully completing a course in the department. It is not unusual, however, for a student’s interest in religion studies to be motivated by personal, existential questions–the perennial questions of human existence. There is no better way for a person to work out her own answers than by studying the distillations of insight found in the world’s religious traditions.

For those interested in learning God’s Word for teaching and preaching, Bethel College has a program to match: the Biblical Studies Major. The Biblical Studies Major offers the student an intensive and rigorous program to foster a love of the Scriptures and a competence for interpretation and application in the life of the church. God’s Word has been given to us through multiple authors, languages, literary forms, cultures and across diverse historical circumstances and geographical settings.

Discovering God’s Truth
Academic Foundations
Renewing the Mind
Bible in Ministry
Original Languages
Interpretive Skills
Biblical Theology
Devotional Use of Scripture

The work of the Religion Studies Department of Muhlenberg College is the academic investigation of religious traditions in their thought and practice. Faculty and students study cultural and intellectual responses to basic questions of life and meaning that engage imagination, hope, and faith. Our discipline, exploring essential aspects of human experience, is inherently cross-cultural, multidisciplinary, and interpretive. Its geography is global; its chronology extends from antiquity to the present. We analyze texts, beliefs, rituals, arts, communities, cultures, and their integration into coherent worldviews. Our methodologies as well as our content interact with disciplines spanning the liberal arts curriculum from the humanities to the social sciences to the sciences.

The religious studies program is built around the central themes relating to spiritual questions and the ways in which the world’s major religions address such questions to give graduates a solid knowledge of the history, philosophy, and sociology of religions. A flexible look at questions and research juxtaposes the world’s religious philosophies with the traditions, beliefs, rites, ethics, communities, and cultures of a variety of faiths. The program prepares students for graduate study in such fields as religion, seminary, social work, international studies, or law. Advanced skills in reading, thinking, and writing also qualify graduates to excel in a number of fields of employment, including government service and denominational, nondenominational, and secular not-for-profit agencies.

To major in religion is to ask questions about the many ways women and men have sought to make sense of their lives. Examining religious traditions—their notable leaders, their valued texts, and the social behaviors designed to embody their visions—is a central way to study the profound questions that direct so many areas of human endeavor. The study of religion is an excellent way of organizing a liberal arts education so that diverse cultures, artistic expressions, political forces, and gender assignments can be questioned and set in historical and changing contexts.

We seek to expose, challenge, and equip students to mature in their critical thinking skills and the application of a biblical worldview to their intended field of study and to study and mature in their faith and commitment to Jesus Christ.

We are committed to exploring the relationship between faith and learning as well as the relevance of the Christian faith for all disciplines of study. We want to provide you with a rich liberal arts experience and a solid foundation for a wide range of occupations or further graduate studies.

We will equip you to work with children, youth, and families in a variety of organizations such as churches, community social programs, schools, and parachurch organizations both in the United States and into to other cultures.

You can combine this major with any number of minors to facilitate the development of a degree to meet your particular needs and interests.

The academic study of religion introduces students to the depth and richness of religious thought, texts, ritual, spiritual practice, moral and cultural values, and social institutions found in the major religious traditions of humankind. These phenomena are examined from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives — historical, literary, philosophical, theological and social scientific. Thus, the study of religion is an important component of a liberal arts education.

Courses are intended to acquaint students with the historical development and contemporary expressions of one or more traditions, as well as the ways in which religious traditions shape and/or reflect cultures past and present, and to develop students’ analytical and critical skills. Tutorial reading courses and independent study projects allow students to pursue particular interests with faculty guidance.

The major and minor are designed to serve as focus of a liberal arts education for students with diverse career goals and as a foundation for those planning to continue the study of religion in a professional or graduate program.

The Religious Studies department focuses on the role which religion has played and continues to play in the life of the individual and society. Religion addresses itself to fundamental questions relating to the meaning of human existence. Religious answers to these questions reflect the encounter between human beings and the transcendent. The courses which the department offers examine the relationship among religion, the individual, and society, recognizing that the answers provided by religions are both shaped by and shape the society of which they are a part. The department offers a wide range of courses dealing with both Western and Eastern religious traditions and cultures. Contemporary life issues are also examined in various courses in connection with religions and students are encouraged to become familiar with the primary texts (in translation) of various religions.

The department’s courses are intended for a broad range of undergraduate students who may complete a major, advanced major, or honours in religious studies. Students in other disciplines can expect their appreciation of these disciplines to be enriched through a study of religion. Courses will be of interest both to students who are associated with a particular religious tradition as well as to students who have no formal religious affiliation.