Sample Courses
- Introduction to the study of the Bible looks at the content and organization of the various Jewish and Christian scriptures and on scholarly method and standard research tools used in the study of the Bible.
- Jewish encounter with modernity is a survey course that looks at Jewish encounters with modernity outside the Americas from 1700-1948 concentrating and on transformations in political status, national identity, Jewish culture, and religious self-definition.
- Buddhism and Asian culture serves as an introduction to the history, doctrine, and practices of Buddhism. Basic teachings of Buddha and their subsequent development and systematization in India are studied. As well as continuity and change in Buddhist traditions of China, Korea, and Japan.
Hands On Learning
Study abroad programs offered through the UO’s Office of International Education and Exchange provide a great opportunity for students to expand their worldview and become acquainted firsthand with the religion and culture of their choice.
Other students gain internships with religiously-affiliated organizations in the community or pursue individual research projects with the guidance of a professor.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
The Religious Studies Department incorporates classes taught by faculty members from the English, history, sociology, international studies, and geography departments. Many religion courses are also cross-referenced with philosophy, history, classics, and the humanities.
A religious studies major or minor provides added insight into almost any humanities or social sciences discipline, for instance comparative literature, political science, history, geography, anthropology, sociology, and linguistics.
Professor Judith Baskin has seen students combine a major in religious studies with biology, classics, philosophy, English, and Judaic studies. “It’s a very flexible major,” she says. “It fits with any humanities major and possibly with someone who wants to be a doctor or lawyer. People enter the ministry, pursue graduate work in religion, or work in fields such as social work, communal service, and education.”