As an English and Religious Studies double major, I frequently have to navigate the “what on earth are you going to do with that degree?” question. There has been a fair amount of debate over what can be “done” with an English major, but today I would like to give a glimpse into the wonders of being a Religious Studies major.
I started taking religious studies classes simply because I was interested in religion. I had no idea I would end up majoring in it, and learning about anthropology, the civil rights movement, the framing of the constitution, Middle Eastern history, the rise of capitalism, psychology and William Faulkner in the process.
How did yoga become so popular in America? What is driving ISIS? What was it like to be a Jewish girl living in Germany in the 1940’s? What made MLK Jr. so influential? Why do we have “In God We Trust” on our currency? Thanks to various Religious Studies classes, I can speak to each of these subjects adeptly.
I am willing to bet each student could find at least one course offering of interest in the department. For example — Nursing Major? There’s a relationship between religion and bioethics. English? Consider the marriage between poetry and theology. In the Comm School? Business, Ethics and Society is a course ground in religious thought. History? There’s a class about Pope Pius XII, Hitler and WWII. Environmental Science? Religion, Ethics and the Environment is the course for you. Government? American Church-State Conflicts is offered here too. Like to eat? Feasting, Fasting and Faith might be up your alley. I think you catch my drift.
The University has the largest Religious Studies department of any public university, giving the major an incredibly unique dynamic — it is an opportunity to study religion amongst a diverse group of students in a structure independent of any particular bias. Although a majority of course offerings focus on Christianity, the University has not neglected to offer a diverse host of classes on religion. This semester, I am taking classes in Islam and Buddhism, and if I had the time, I would take classes focusing entirely on Judaism, Hinduism and Mormonism as well.
I would be remiss to fail to mention how wonderful the religious studies faculty is. The professors I have encountered are remarkably intelligent and genuinely care about their students. During the fall semester, the department sent out an email to all religious studies majors with advice from over a dozen different professors on the best way to ask for a letter of recommendation. They were helping us to ask them for help — I found that exceptionally kind.
But perhaps the coolest part about being a Religious Studies major is observing how much different religions and cultures actually have in common. Although there are crucial differences in theologies, all religions are focused on creating codes of morality and, in doing so, overlap in fascinating ways.
Religion has been an integral part of societies for longer than I can even fathom. Understanding the religious convictions of different people around the world puts almost every human action into perspective — a skill which will be useful regardless of what career I choose to pursue.
So maybe I don’t know exactly what I am going to do with my degree yet, but I am confident the wide range of perspectives I have been exposed to through my Religious Studies major will be beneficial.
Kelly’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at k.seegers@cavalierdaily.com.
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