Religious Studies - Religion and Society

Program Codes: BARLSTSOC
Bachelor of Arts

Program Mission Statement
The academic study of religion is a central component to the humanities curriculum of Mercyhurst University. Through diverse course offerings, the Religious Studies department cultivates understanding of the human experience. It provides students with a breadth of knowledge within the field and essential skills for full participation in a globalized world. Students will cultivate reflective and critical thinking skills through the study of religion’s broad impact on human life and society.

They will also develop communication, argumentation, and research skills  as  well as cultural awareness and creative and critical problem-solving abilities for managing diverse environments. Students in the religious  studies  department are engaged in campus and community life and have opportunities to present at academic conferences. Graduates have gone on to work in ministry and service organizations, the arts, health professions, social work, business, and intelligence positions.

The Religious Studies department is rooted in its Catholic origins and committed to the classical critical inquiry of the Catholic intellectual tradition. It is simultaneously defined by a spirit of intellectual openness that welcomes students of diverse faith traditions, or none at all. The structure of the curriculum allows students to explore their own interests: academically, professionally, and personally.

Some students might wish to focus their major or minor in the cross-cultural study of religion, for example. The department offers a broad major and minor in Religious Studies, but also a concentration and an additional minor in Religion and Society for students who are more interested in the historical, social, and contemporary issues of religion. At the same time, the department also supports students wishing to pursue deeper studies in the Catholic tradition by making specific courses available for the Catholic Studies minor.

Religious Studies is organized into three principal areas:

  • Tradition, Texts, and History
  • Pluralism, Comparison, and Society
  • Theology, Philosophy, and Ethics

Catholic Studies Interdisciplinary Minor

CST 100 Exploring Catholicism - 3 credits

CST Any other CST course - 3 credits

RLST Any RLST course - 3 credits

Interdisciplinary Studies (Choose 1 of the following):

FREN 135 Religion, Politics and Drama in 17th Century France - 3 credits

DANC 175 Liturgical Dance - 3 credits

POLI 201 Catholic Social and Political Thought - 3 credits

ECON 250 Economics of Poverty - 3 credits

PHIL 270 Foundations of Catholic Philosophy - 3 credits

ENG 354 Catholic Literary Imagination - 3 credits

Program Outcomes:

Upon completing the Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, graduates will:

  • Develop skills of the discipline such as:
    • Analyze and synthesize information from primary and secondary sources
    • Compose scholarship with respect to the academic study of religion
    • Critique scholarship with respect to the academic study of religion
  • Recognize multiplicity within religious traditions
  • Compare and contrast religious traditions
  • Apply ideological paradigms
Religion and Society Curriculum

Religion and Society Minor and Concentration

The Religion and Society minor and concentration are designed to complement programs throughout the university in particular, those students who will be working in medical or public health, public service, social work, politics, business, criminal justice, and intelligence fields. The courses provide both breadth in general understanding of the relationship between religion and social life and depth to explore issues of particular significance facing the contemporary world.

A Religion and Society minor requires A minimum of five (5) courses in RLST

• RLST 100 What is Religion?, RLST 110 Sacred Texts, or RLST 115 World Religions (Required)

• One (1) course from each category of the Religion and Society curriculum (see below)

• One (1) elective from the Religion and Society curriculum

• RLST senior seminar is recommended but not required and can be taken as the elective

• At least one course must be 300 level or higher

• 0-1 credit service learning/experiential learning component arranged with the department chair

A Religion and Society Concentration

Students majoring in RLST can choose to add a concentration in Religion and Society. The major with concentration will require thirteen (13) unique courses.

• Two (2) courses from each of the three categories in the Religious Studies general curriculum

• One (1) course from each category in the Religion and Society curriculum

• RLST Senior Seminar

• Three (3) electives from the Religious Studies general curriculum or Religion and Society curriculum

• At least 2 courses must be 300 or higher

• 0-1 credit service learning/experiential learning component arranged with the department chair

Global Civil Society

Global Awareness

Global Issues

Second Year Evaluation

At the end of two years, each major student’s progress is reviewed to determine continuation in the program. Special attention is paid to an ongoing commitment to intellectual growth and to the maintenance of the 2.5 GPA minimum requirement. A formal request for delay of this review into the third year requires special permission from the department chair.

Degrees & Certificates
Course Descriptions