Religion and Philosophy

“Everyone is a philosopher. It is only the rare person who will admit it.”

- Plato

 

Questioning is a fundamental part of human life. All of us have a driving urge to find out more.

 

The overwhelming need to look beyond the limitations of our own lives and explore what lies “beyond” is part of what makes us distinctively human.

 

Religion and Philosophy study the most profound yearnings of human consciousness, addressing the fundamental questions of human identity, ethics, death and the divine. The study of religion is central to understanding the deepest desires of the human spirit, while philosophy seeks to understand the highest aspirations of human consciousness.

 

“A religious person is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.”

- Abraham Heschel

 

The department offers majors in Religion and minors in Religion and Philosophy. A Bachelor of Arts degree may be obtained by students completing the requirements for the Religion major. The Religion major is designed to provide students a broad-based exposure to all elements of religious and philosophical study, including Bible, theology, philosophy, and ethics. Furthermore, it can prepare students for advanced study toward ordained and diaconal ministries, or for graduate study in most fields in Religion and Philosophy.

 

The Philosophy minor provides students with a broadly based theoretical background for other fields of study.

 

The Religion minor allows students to study religion along with their own field of study, while at the same time providing professional training for those interested in careers serving in a local church setting. All these degrees offer a strong theological foundation for lay leadership.

 

Please note: Students may take 8 Credit Hours of ancient languages such as REPH 283-284/Greek or Hebrew, in order to satisfy the liberal studies requirement in foreign language.

 

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.”

- Albert Einstein