Religion Degrees Online

The Theology Department offers students a faithful but critical consideration of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The program provides a forum for considering the transcendent and ultimate questions of human existence and prepares men and women for a variety of ministries within the Church. The major and minor programs both require specific liberal education courses in history and philosophy.

Philosophy Minor
The Philosophy minor program gives students an opportunity to examine the fundamental questions of human existence through courses on great philosophical thinkers and important philosophical issues. The program places special emphasis on a knowledge of the historical origins of the Western philosophical tradition and on the development of skills of philosophical analysis.

Philosophy and Religious Studies are two different ways of approaching the most fundamental questions about human existence: How do we relate to the world around us? What can we be sure of? Is there some basic truth that holds all other truths together?

Philosophy has traditionally sought answers to these and other questions through the proper use of rational thought, the application of human intellect to the mysteries of the world around us. Religions have looked for the answers in human connection with the divine, the power that creates and directs the human world and interacts with human beings in community. The field of Religious Studies is concerned with all forms and manifestations of religious faith in world culture, past and present. Both Philosophy and Religious Studies give students the opportunity to examine some of the most fundamental issues in a liberal education, and so provide a basis for life-long learning.

The discipline of religion investigates the religious dimension of human existence throughout history and across cultures. Courses in religion acquaint students with the world’s major religious traditions, texts, and figures. Students learn the many ways of studying religion and engage in critical discussion of diverse themes and issues. The small size of the religion program permits personal attention. The major in religion offers a high degree of flexibility, and individual interests are encouraged. A degree in religion equips students with the tools of a liberal education necessary for many careers. Religion graduates enter the world beyond college with a broad cultural awareness and an ability to engage in dialogue discerningly. They are trained to conduct research, to think critically, and to write and express ideas persuasively. Religion majors have pursued careers in such fields as public relations, journalism, teaching, library science, service organizations, business, and the arts. The B.A. in religion also prepares students for graduate school or seminary study in religion, as well as for graduate study in other fields such as law and social work.

Honors are awarded in religion on the basis of excellence in religion major course work and in writing a senior thesis in Religion 401 – Guided Research. Internships are available to qualified students. Various courses in other disciplines are accepted towards the religion major which allows students to have an interdisciplinary approach in the formation of their major. Various religion offerings also complement work in American studies, anthropology, classics, drama, English, history, international affairs, philosophy, and psychology, among other disciplines.

As a Catholic institution, Saint Leo University seeks to reflect the rich intellectual and spiritual heritage of the Church, as well as the precious integrity of the individual person.

The major in religion builds upon a liberal education and emphasizes the dignity of the human person and the importance of informed and sustained personal reflection on religious and ethical issues. Religion itself is a field of fields which encompasses philosophical, moral, literary, historical, and psychological approaches to its subject matter. The major in religion, like the Catholic tradition, is inclusive and integrative. Furthermore, it encourages students to enlarge their imaginations and to develop a more profound, holistic,and challenging view of the human person and the multidimensional reality within which we live.

Students may use the major as preparation for graduate studies in religion and for church-related careers. The religion major can also be combined with other programs to form a plan of studies leading to careers in law and the helping professions, such as teaching, psychology, and social work. Students interested in religion who wish to pursue careers in business find that a religion major helps them to better articulate and define their professional standards as well as their own personal values. The religion faculty-and the supporting faculty in philosophy-have doctorates and are active in their fields. All of the religion faculty have graduate degrees from Catholic universities of distinction. They are eager to assist students in creating the specific educational plan that will be the most rewarding and meaningful for them in the light of their own individual goals, talents, and needs.

Career Opportunities
A degree in religious studies provides a strong liberal arts background and excellent training in critical thinking and writing. Such a liberal education, which includes the development of basic intellectual skills, has become increasingly attractive to employers seeking to hire recent college graduates. Students with a degree in religious studies are also well positioned to pursue graduate studies in the liberal arts and professional programs, including business, law, journalism and social work.

Religion plays an important role in human life and history everywhere, and a liberal education would be seriously incomplete if it did not provide some of the intellectual tools necessary for dealing with this important dimension of human life.

The department expresses the religious dimension of the college’s founding in the Jesuit and Catholic tradition, and its orientation is to serve the community that shares the values of that tradition.

A major in religious studies and theology provides a broad intellectual context for those who wish to study religion in greater depth. The major program offers courses in five different areas: World Religions, Jewish & Christian Origins, History of Christianity, Religion in the Modern World and Systematic Theology.

At the conclusion of the program majors should be able to 1) assess the role of Christianity and other religions in human development and experience; 2) explain, compare, and contrast various viewpoints and values of differing religions; 3) use the theoretical tools necessary for the academic study of religion and theology in texts, rituals and practices; and 4) describe, analyze and draw conclusions about important religious and theological issues.

To these ends, the department presents in its courses a scientific and theological study and appreciation of the unique approaches of Roman Catholicism, other confessional Christian churches, Jewish religious thought and other religions. This ecumenical approach also attempts a comparative study of religions and a positive approach to the varieties of non-religion, such as atheism. The department provides the opportunity for a more mature and authentic appraisal of religious faith in the 21st century through the study of primary source materials — scriptural, historical and theological — and academic studies of religion.

The discipline of religion investigates the religious dimension of human existence throughout history and across cultures. Courses in religion acquaint students with the world’s major religious traditions, texts, and figures. Students learn the many ways of studying religion and engage in critical discussion of diverse themes and issues. The small size of the religion program permits personal attention. The major in religion offers a high degree of flexibility, and individual interests are encouraged. A degree in religion equips students with the tools of a liberal education necessary for many careers. Religion graduates enter the world beyond college with a broad cultural awareness and an ability to engage in dialogue discerningly. They are trained to conduct research, to think critically, and to write and express ideas persuasively. Religion majors have pursued careers in such fields as public relations, journalism, teaching, library science, service organizations, business, and the arts. The B.A. in religion also prepares students for graduate school or seminary study in religion, as well as for graduate study in other fields such as law and social work.

Honors are awarded in religion on the basis of excellence in religion major course work and in writing a senior thesis in Religion 401 – Guided Research. Internships are available to qualified students. Various courses in other disciplines are accepted towards the religion major which allows students to have an interdisciplinary approach in the formation of their major. Various religion offerings also complement work in American studies, anthropology, classics, drama, English, history, international affairs, philosophy, and psychology, among other disciplines.

Why study religion?

Like language, culture, and artistic expression, religion is a universal human phenomenon. More than any other aspect of humanity, however, religions tell people how they should live, and in many cases, why they should die. That is, religions give an account for all of existence. Through the academic study of religion, therefore, we join the great humanistic enterprise of classical university education: understanding human beings for the sake of moral living with them.

Why study religion at Samford?

Founded by Baptists, Samford strives to be a university that serves churches of all denominations as well as society as a whole. So, while we promote the traditional values of liberal education—training in the classics, schooling in virtues, sharpening of the intellect, and writing with clarity—an important aspect of Samford’s mission has been to educate Christian ministers. In the religion department we do our part to continue that tradition by also offering courses focused on the practice of ministry and by enrolling qualified students in a newly formed Preministerial Scholars Program. Samford’s distinction is to offer interested students, who are in an academically rigorous undergraduate setting, supervised internships that link the intellectual work of the classroom to ministry in daily life.