From art and politics to history and culture, religion touches nearly every aspect of human life. A new minor in Religious Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences will give students a scholarly way to explore those connections and better understand the role religion plays in the world around them.
“To understand the world, we have to understand religion,” said Dr. Jordan Kiper, assistant professor of anthropology and one of the faculty members who proposed the minor. “Religion inspires movements, creates and maintains communities, and gives meaning to billions of people.”
The new minor grew from student interest in courses that examine religion from a variety of perspectives. In recent years, UAB students have enrolled in courses such as Comparative Religion, History of Religion and Philosophy and Christianity.
The new minor provides a structured way for students to continue exploring those questions while drawing from the broad range of expertise represented across CAS.
An interdisciplinary approach
The 18-credit-hour minor combines one approved introductory course with 15 hours of electives drawn from at least two disciplines. Students can choose from courses in African American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and World Languages and Literatures.
“What makes this new Religious Studies program exciting is its interdisciplinary approach,” said Dr. Tola Rodrick, assistant professor of history and one of the faculty members who proposed the minor. “Religion is best understood through a variety of perspectives.”
Students may encounter religion through the study of art, philosophy, politics, literature, history, anthropology or sociology. Courses available for the minor include topics such as religion and culture, comparative religion, Buddhist and Hindu art, religion and politics, philosophy of religion, the sociology of religion, and the history of Islam and the Byzantine Empire.
“Each discipline asks different questions and gives students different tools for understanding religion and its role in human life,” Rodrick said. “The program gives students the opportunity to explore those different perspectives and create a path of study that reflects their own interests and goals.”
Students must complete at least nine hours of 300-level or higher coursework, and at least 12 of the 18 hours must be completed at UAB. Students can begin the minor with one of three approved introductory courses: History of Religion (HY 220), Philosophy of Religion (PHL 203) or Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (PY 105).
Understanding religion in context
The minor also emphasizes the importance of studying religious traditions within their historical and cultural contexts.
“Every religion has a history: each emerged or developed within particular societies and historical circumstances, and each has changed over time,” Rodrick said. “Studying that history helps us understand how religious teachings, practices, rituals, institutions, and communities developed, and how they have shaped and been shaped by the societies around them.”
Rather than approaching religions as static sets of beliefs, students can examine how religious traditions have developed and changed in response to historical, social and cultural forces.
“To study religion is to study history,” Rodrick said, “and studying that history opens up a much richer understanding of both religion and the people who practice it.”
The minor's interdisciplinary approach also allows students to examine religion through the methods of the social sciences and humanities.
“The Religious Studies minor combines timeless wisdom from humanities disciplines such as history and philosophy with modern empirical insights from social sciences such as anthropology and psychology,” said Dr. Kevin McCain, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy.
McCain said students can expect to gain a deeper understanding of religion and religious experience, as well as their role in human flourishing. Philosophy courses in the minor allow students to explore questions about the nature of God, religious experience and the rationality of faith.
According to Kiper, studying religion is also a way of better understanding people and the societies they create.
“Given that religion is also tightly bound with culture,” Kiper said, “we can study religious systems and practices, and thereby understand people better and even see the world differently. Because religion is bound up with art, ethics, conflict, culture, identity, and politics, the minor gives students the tools to understand a world influenced by religious systems and where religious systems still matter.”
Students interested in the minor can learn more about the program, including its requirements and available courses by visiting the course catalog.
