Religious Studies

MajorMinor3YRBachelor of Arts

Multidisciplinary Perspectives for a Dynamic World.

Using diverse methodological approaches and tools, including those from linguistics, literature, history, archaeology, anthropology, psychology, and sociology, Butler’s Religious Studies program ensures that you will graduate with a more profound picture of the world and your place in it while cultivating critical thinking, textual analysis, debating skills, curiosity, open-mindedness, ethics, and sound decision-making.

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Program Information

Curriculum

Sample courses in this program include:

TI 250-RL – Religions of the World
RL 347 – History of Christianity
RL 550 – Topics in Judaism
RL 353 – Buddhism: Past and Present
RL 354 – Islam: Religion, Culture, Society

See all Religious Studies major curriculum information

See all Religious Studies minor curriculum information

Three-Year Program

The Religion major can be completed in a total of three years, which includes completing coursework during both summer terms. More information can be found here.

The Butler Advantage

These learning outcomes reflect the interdisciplinary and multifaceted nature of the Religious Studies program, emphasizing critical analysis, cultural understanding, scholarly engagement, and preparation for diverse career paths and continued academic pursuits.

Students will engage in a rigorous examination of religious beliefs, scriptures, and practices, employing analytical, academic methods to explore the relationship between religion, culture, politics, and society.

The program will facilitate an environment where students can express diverse viewpoints, fostering meaningful dialogue, mutual understanding, and respectful engagement with differing perspectives.

The program’s interdisciplinary nature, reflected in cross-listed courses and collaborations with various departments and campus partners, will encourage students to integrate religious studies with other fields of study, fostering a well-rounded academic experience.

Dedicated departmental funds will support student scholarship and subsidize study abroad, ensuring that students have access to resources for academic growth and global exploration.

Meet Your Faculty

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Chad Bauman

Professor – Religion

Biography Professor Bauman grew up in eastern Pennsylvania before going to Goshen College, in Northern Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree. After college, Professor Bauman went to Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) and earned both an M.Div….
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Brent Hege

Senior Lecturer – Religion

Biography Born and raised in southcentral Pennsylvania in one of only two counties in the Commonwealth without a traffic light, Brent Hege earned his BA in Religion and History with a minor in Classics from Gettysburg College (PA) in 1998. He completed…
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James McGrath

Professor – Religion

James F. McGrath is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature. His PhD from the University of Durham became the basis for his first book, John’s Apologetic Christology, published by Cambridge University Press in the SNTS…
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