The Philosophy & Religion Department offers a variety of courses and programs in both Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Philosophy is a broad and varied field of inquiry. It encompasses ideas and issues in every domain of human experience and intersects with virtually every intellectual discipline and profession. Philosophers have examined everything from the nature of morality to the foundations of mathematics, the value of art, the truth of religious beliefs, and the justifications for law and government. Many of the greatest, most influential thinkers have been philosophers.

Studying philosophy can develop not only philosophical knowledge and sophistication but also critical thinking and writing abilities that are applicable to pursuits in other academic areas, useful in careers far removed from philosophy, and valuable in everyday social and personal life. The study of philosophy can profoundly affect both the thinking one does and the kind of person one is. We offer three approaches to the philosophy major, a minor, and specific graduate courses.

The program in Religion offers students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of religious experience, both as an individual response and within its social, historical, literary, and political context. Specific religions (Christian, Jewish, Hinduism, etc.) are studied as well as the mythical and mystical dimensions of religious experience in general. The program strives to clarify the relation between the religious experience and other facets of human life that are the concern of both the liberal arts and the professions.