NCWC: Religious Studies

"True religion is sense and taste for the infinite." --Schleiermacher

WHAT IS "RELIGIOUS STUDIES"?

Religious Studies is a Liberal Arts discipline that begins with the idea that "religions" have some characteristics in common. We study religions from an academic point of view. Our goal is to learn about, and make sense of, religious lives and religious institutions.

Many students, especially at a church-related college like North Carolina Wesleyan, come to the study of religion through an interest in their own religious tradition. They feel a need to learn more about its history, its texts, its origins, and its relations with the culture around it. Starting from these questions, we can look at general theories of what it means to be religious. We may also study religion comparatively, interacting with other faiths and religious viewpoints.

The academic study of religion generally includes these three types of study-historical, theoretical, and comparative. Religious ways of knowing are also compared and contrasted with scientific or secular views of the world.

This brief description suggests a way of working. First, there is a need to study and interact with our own Scriptures, history and moral understanding. Second, there must be a willingness to look with empathy at traditions far removed from our own beliefs. Third, there can develop a critical and sympathetic dialogue between our own tradition and others, and between religious and non-religious outlooks. Finally, our understanding of religion should be connected with other aspects of our life and learning, and brought to bear on various timely issues. These connections can be the start of various careers.

At North Carolina Wesleyan, Religious Studies is a discipline within the Humanities Division. Our faculty offer a variety of courses each semester. We offer a major concentration, leading to the degree Bachelor of Arts, and also a minor concentration. Each year, we sponsor a lecture series on campus--the Staley Lecture.

WHY STUDY RELIGION?

To gain a deeper understanding of our own religious traditions. Academic study makes available a wealth of information and interpretation that can enhance a believer's religious experience.
To gain understanding of the people around us. The political scene, on both the national and the local level, is increasingly defined in religious categories. Current debates with a religious component involve fundamentalists and liberals, creationists and evolutionists, pro-life and pro-choice. Then too we are often bewildered by the religious claims of sects such as the Branch Davidians. We can only make sense of these issues if we unravel the religious ideas and motivations of the parties. The study of religion lends an informed perspective on these matters.
To help cope with life in our "global village." There is no avoiding the increasing globalization of markets, ideas, and threats. Religious disputes or misunderstandings are at work in the battles between Muslims and Christians in the former Yugoslavia; Jews and Muslims in the Holy Land; Muslim factions in Iran and Iraq; Sikhs and Hindus in India; Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Where such local conflicts can so easily escalate to world crises, an understanding of their religious dimension is crucial for world survival. Even where there is no open conflict, an understanding of the religious climate is often the key to diplomatic and business success. The study of world religions helps to provide such an understanding.
To feed our sense of wonder. Humans have always been explorers, not content with the obvious limits of what appears to be. We persist in asking: What is behind appearances? What is ultimately true? Most religions refer to some truth beyond the appearances. The immense variety of their answers makes a fascinating study, which can also lead to personal enrichment. Courses in world religions and the philosophy of religion explore these issues.
To learn more about our culture. The history of the United States is closely bound up with religious ideas. Just how these ideas relate to our present needs is a hotly disputed question. Study of the Bible, and of the history of the Christian Church, gives a valuable perspective on who we are.
To help decide what is fair and right. When does life start? Is it ever right to "pull the plug?" How should we distribute wealth and resources? Do people have "natural rights?" What are the limits on personal choices? Many religious traditions claim to have the answers to such questions. But can such claims be justified? And how can we make sense of the many conflicting answers? The study of ethics from a religious perspective brings these questions into sharp focus, and helps provide perspective on contemporary moral issues.
To sharpen critical thinking skill. The issues raised by the study of religion are not easy ones. To investigate these issues requires factual discovery and conceptual insight. Students and teachers alike must read and listen with empathy; digest and compare points of view; articulate conclusions in oral and written form; and defend their own conclusions. The skills gained in this process are applicable to many other areas in the academic, business, and professional worlds.

What Can I Do With A Religious Studies Major/Minor?

Apart from personal enrichment, how can a student expect to benefit from the major or minor in Religious Studies at North Carolina Wesleyan College?

Most of our recent majors have gone on to graduate study. Many are headed for seminary at institutions such as Duke University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Others aim at graduate work in philosophy. Even those who are planning further studies often seek a job in the short term.

Corporate managers consistently state that, when hiring college graduates, they are seeking intellectual breadth, reasoning ability, and moral maturity. Thus they prefer students with degrees in humanities subjects over those with a narrow specialty.

Recent studies suggest that by the fourth or fifth year out of school, persons with solid grounding in the humanities are higher in earning power than those who stick to a more technical curriculum. In today's rapidly changing world, specific technical information becomes obsolete in a few years. Merely technical studies do not yield as much adaptability to changing conditions as do broader subjects that promote the understanding of human nature and human experience.

A degree in Religious Studies provides cultural background information, critical reasoning ability, and the opportunity for moral reflection. Thus it promotes the ability to adapt, learn new skills, and apply old lessons to new situations.

For these reasons a major or minor concentration in Religious Studies is a good foundation for any career track.