Religion
Why should I major in this subject?
Religion has been and remains to this day one of the most powerful forces shaping human history. The spread of religious movements and the clash of religious ideas have had a profound affect on the world's cultures, societies, and civilizations. Countless wars have been fought and lives have been sacrificed in the name of religion, and the role that religious beliefs play in contemporary conflicts continues to be substantial.
Religion, however, has been more than just a destructive and violent force. Many of the world's greatest thinkers, poets, and visionaries have been religious figures. Religion continues to serve as a rallying cry for social activism and support for those in need. For many individuals and communities, religion provides a framework in which to structure and make sense of their lives and experiences. Surveys consistently show that a vast majority of Americans believe in God and practice religion in one way or another.
Religion, far from becoming irrelevant in the modern world, continues to shape world events, national policies, daily life, and cultural production in communities throughout the world. Militant movements with religious overtones have altered the political landscape of the twenty-first century, and religion plays a critical role in conflicts in Bosnia, China, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and Sri Lanka, to name but a few. The European Union is debating whether to refer to God in its new Constitution, and a U.S. court has objected to the mention of God in the Pledge of Allegiance. The debate in this country over teaching evolution in public schools and the propriety of abortion or contraception continues, and the federal government has begun funding faith-based organizations. Closer to home, religion has shaped the skyline of Morningside Heights and the schedule of days our streets are cleaned.
The way in which religion shapes human thought and action, human history and current events, is exceedingly complex and vital to understanding the world around us. The Columbia University Department of Religion invites you to join us in exploring these issues.
What are some useful first courses that I should take in order to get to know this field of study? When should I take them?
Religion and the Modern World (RELI V2800) is a good entry point to the major. The course focuses on a set of contemporary issues in religious action and thought. Religion and the Modern World introduces students to the central roles religions play in the complexities of modern social life. For example, by studying ethnic conflicts you will learn how the relationship between religious devotion and violence are described in diverse scriptural texts and how they are interpreted within individual religious traditions. By investigating the issues surrounding abortion, you will discover how, historically, the tension between religion, law, and the state developed; how science, religion, and medicine evolved into discrete categories; and what role religions play in constructing gender relations in various cultural settings.
In this manner, the course identifies essential categories constituting religious traditions -such as scripture, exegeses, liturgy, ritual practice, the clergy, and lay community- and illustrates how these categories bring themselves together to form living religious traditions. The course demonstrates the significance of religions and their social and political implications in both modern and pre-modern historical contexts.
Another good place to begin exploring the major is in the 2000- level "traditions" courses, including Buddhism: Indo-Tibetan (RELI V2005), Buddhism: East Asian (RELI V2008), Christianity (RELI V2105), Hinduism (RELI V2205), Islam (RELI V2305), Judaism (RELI V2505), and Chinese Religious Traditions (RELI V2405).
What are the major requirements?
For the major, beginning in the fall of 2007, a minimum of 36 points is required:
Required Courses |
|
Specialization Courses | Consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about selecting courses for your area of specialization. |
Junior Courses |
|
Why do the requirements take this form?
The contemporary approach to the academic study of religion is both multidisciplinary and multicultural. Religious traditions that were formerly associated with particular social, historical, and cultural contexts and studied in isolation are now seen to be interacting with other traditions that differ in their approaches to such areas as belief, ritual, scripture, or sacrifice. The study of a single religious tradition, or even solely of historically related traditions, is insufficient if one is to understand the complexity of religion. Similarly, the use of a single methodological approach to the study of religion is insufficient.
The Columbia University Department of Religion is committed to the comparative and interdisciplinary study of religion. This commitment is reflected in the areas of research encompassed in the work of its faculty and the wide range of methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of religion to which faculty members subscribe. This commitment also informs the department's curriculum for undergraduate studies, designed to enable students to explore multiple religious traditions and methodologies while focusing on particular areas of interest.
The undergraduate curriculum encourages you, through comparative study in the philosophy, history, and theory of religion, to balance in-depth study of religion in a particular focus area with broad investigation into a wide range of religious phenomena, ideas, histories, and texts. A solid foundation in the study of religious traditions in their historical contexts is an essential part of the department's instruction, but your studies will also provide you with a critical introduction to important themes related to the contemporary study and practice of religion, enabling you to engage in current theoretical debates in the field of religious studies with a deeper awareness of the issues involved. As a student in the Department of Religion, you will develop this "double vision" of depth and breadth by constructing a unique Plan of Study designed to address your particular needs and interests while acquiring the tools and knowledge with which to engage important questions about religious life.
Whom do I speak to about this major? How does the department structure its faculty for advising purposes?
For information about the major and initial guidance once your declare religion as your major, you should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
When should I declare my major?
Although students conventionally declare their major in the sophomore year, you should begin exploring the major as early as your first year—for a taste of what it would be like to major in religion—and you should have completed either a course in one of the major world religions or the introductory course Religion in the Modern World.
Before declaring Religion as your major, you should speak with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or another faculty advisor about your program of study.
Upon declaration, you must select a faculty advisor and submit a hard copy of the major declaration form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Those students interested in applying for the honors track should see the appropriate section below.
What research opportunities exist in or through the department?
Because much of the research conducted by our faculty is independent and individual, we encourage our students to find resources for independent research in religion and assist where we can in forming research questions that are interesting to other scholars in the field. The most compelling research available to you is, in fact, the one you design for yourself. All majors are encouraged to write a senior thesis: each student who chooses to do so works closely with a faculty sponsor who provides guidance through all the steps of research and writing. Students who choose to write a senior thesis must connect with a faculty sponsor and write a brief prospectus in the Spring semester of their junior year.
Opportunities for collaboration with faculty on their research pursuits also exist from time to time, depending on the match of student and faculty interests. Several faculty members in our department are working on collaborative projects with undergraduates; for instance, one co-authored a paper published in 2004 developed from research conducted in a departmental seminar.
Will study abroad enhance this major?
Absolutely. The study of religion is comparative by nature and any cross-cultural contact, study, or experience will help you develop the critical perspective on human action that we teach in our classes. While study abroad is itself an extraordinary educational experience, studying religion in a cross-cultural context heightens awareness of the cultural, social, and intellectual challenges that scholars of religion face. Study abroad also provides the opportunity to observe, absorb, and analyze the religious structures, buildings, and iconography of the region, and above all to investigate how religion is structured in the daily life of other cultures. In some cases, students have drawn on field work or research while studying abroad in developing their senior research.
How might a sample track or course of study look?
Individual plans of study will vary according to the needs and interests of each student. Consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in your field of interest to build your own plan of study.
How does one receive departmental honors?
To be nominated by the departments’ faculty to the College Committee on Honors, Awards, and Prizes, which makes the final decisions on all honors’ recipients and awards, you must have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.66 in the major and have submitted a senior thesis of distinction. No more than 10% of the department’s graduating majors may be granted departmental honors.
Many students consider writing a thesis to be the capstone experience of their undergraduate career, and the opportunity to write a senior honor thesis is open to all Religion majors, regardless of GPA. Students often choose to write a thesis in order to pursue an advanced topic in greater depth than is possible in courses or seminars.
If you wish to write a senior thesis, you must consult with a prospective faculty advisor and submit a prospectus and letter of support by a religion faculty member who will direct the thesis to the Director of Undergraduate Studies no later than the spring of the junior year. The prospectus (5-7 pages) should detail a research program and the central question or questions to be pursued in the paper, preparation for the thesis, and a timeline. The primary advisor of the thesis must be a member of the Religion Department faculty. You may apply for up to 4 credit hours of directed reading with your thesis advisor toward the major.
At the end of the senior year, faculty determine which theses have earned distinction. Students who have written a thesis of distinction and have maintained the 3.66 GPA or above are recommended to the College Committee on Honors, Awards, and Prizes which makes the final decisions on all honors recipients and awards. No more than 10% of the department’s graduating majors may be granted departmental honors.
What awards and prizes are sponsored by the department?
Although no awards or prizes are awarded directly through the department, you should consult “The Prizes and Fellowships” section of the on-line Bulletin for information about prizes in the humanities and social sciences for which you may be eligible.
Are there any student clubs, committees, and/or activities offered within or through the department?
While we currently have no departmentally specific clubs or committees, we welcome the development of such organizations and in the meantime suggest that you consult the Web site of Student Development and Activities for information about activities and events that may interest you.
What career opportunities follow upon study in this field?
Recent majors and concentrators are pursuing careers in documentary film-making, law, medicine, public policy, and teaching. Others are enrolled in graduate programs, including religious studies, the philosophy of science, English literature, and history. Religion studies majors graduating from Columbia command an impressive range of knowledge about Western and non-Western cultures and traditions, and exhibit great ability to analyze and interpret texts, social life, and cultures.
Whom should I contact about graduate study in this field?
The best place to start is by talking with the professor or professors in the department who specialize in the subfield or area that you are interested in pursuing. The is, in many cases, your thesis advisor (we strongly encourage students interested in graduate school to write a thesis). Iin addition, each fall the department hosts representatives from Harvard and the University of Chicago who hold informal informational sessions about their graduate programs in Religious Studies. Contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information about these events or watch for postings.