Religious Studies (BA)

Religious Studies at Ohio State is an interdisciplinary field, which requires the active involvement of faculty from numerous different departments, from the arts to the hard sciences. Studying religion includes the study of written texts and spoken languages, works of art, architecture, music and drama as well as myriad social practices and institutions.

Religion runs throughout the fabric of human life. We cannot fully understand culture, politics, economics, morality, or social change without considering how religion has influenced them. The academic study of religion does not favor any particular religious standpoint. Instead, it enables students to explore traditions ranging from antiquity to the present, from the local to the global.

With faculty from disciplines across the university, the religious studies major and minor nurture the critical thinking skills and sensitivity to cultural difference relevant in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic world. Some graduates have taken jobs where such qualities can be put to use immediately. Others have gone on to advanced degrees not only in religious studies or divinity, but also in law, business, education, and global studies.

Concentrations:

• Study of Religions: The in-depth study of different religious traditions in specific historical, cultural and geographical contexts.
• Religions and Cultures: The study of religions in relation to cultural, social, and political institutions, and in relation to categories of identity and difference.