Religious Studies

In the religious studies minor, students can expect personal and intellectual growth while developing a deeper understanding of our world and its many religions, which are important to cultural understanding and competence. Students in any major will benefit from increasing their ability to interact with people from different religious and cultural backgrounds. Through exploration of the scriptures, history, theology, and ethics of the world's religions, students will develop widely applicable skills for any career. These include data gathering, observation, interpretation, critical analysis, and greater empathy for others. The religious studies program emphasizes experiential learning at all levels through site visits, field trips, service, study abroad, and internship opportunities.

Curriculum

At Mount Union, religious studies courses welcome students from all backgrounds. Students who grew up in a faith community or have never set foot in a religious setting are invited to explore the meaning of religion in our world. Faculty in religious studies at Mount Union believe that the study of religion is critical to understanding American culture as well as cultures around the globe. Students will grow personally and intellectually through religious studies courses as they explore the scriptures, history, theology, and ethics of the world’s religions.

Notably, the religious studies curriculum offers many experiential learning opportunities to put classroom learning into practice.

Experiential Learning

Students who choose to minor in religious studies at the University of Mount Union have ample opportunities to get “real-world” experience outside of the classroom. Additionally, involvement in extracurricular opportunities and student organizations strengthens your knowledge of world religions, which is critical to career success.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Experiential learning opportunities will give you many chances to put classroom knowledge to work. These opportunities, which supplement classroom learning, include:

Internship at local faith communities or social service organizations
Lectures and discussions with visiting scholars
Study abroad experience
Conference travel and presentations
Site visits to regional religious organizations
Independent research
Research with faculty or student peers
Research-based courses

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Spiritual Life Leadership (SLL) is the representative group for all religious-affiliated student organizations on campus. The purpose of the SLL is to coordinate activities of the various religious life organizations on the campus with the goal of providing opportunities for cooperation, dialogue, and mutual support of spiritual life at Mount Union. There are many spiritual organizations on campus, developed to meet students’ spiritual needs including Interfaith Alliance, Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru), The Edge (Bible study), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), For the Love of Christ the King (FLOCK) and Kappa Phi.