In 1946, under the leadership of
Sister Madeleva, C.S.C., Saint Mary's College became the first Catholic
college to offer women an undergraduate major in religion with its own
academic department, the Department of Religion. In 1952-53, the name of
the department changed to Theology, and in 1969, both the department and
major became Religious Studies. We have retained the name Religious
Studies as an explicit commitment to the mission and values of the
College.
The Religious Studies major
reflects the academic organization of religious studies as a field of
knowledge as well as the department's focus on the depth and breadth of
Catholicism. In their general education, all Saint Mary's students learn
to place Christianity within a global context through their first course,
Introducing Religious Studies. In the second course, they have the
opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Christian tradition, the
Scriptures, religious experience, and contemporary issues, specifically
Catholic approaches to questions of faith and social justice. Beyond the
two general education courses, Religious Studies Majors at Saint Mary's
take five courses in required areas (theory, biblical studies, historical
theology, systematic theology, ethics) and two additional courses which
they choose from these areas or from electives that explore the
relationship of religion to other areas of life.
In the Spring of 2006, the
department celebrated 60 years of the Religion/ Theology/ Religious
Studies major at
Saint Mary's College. Alumnae of the program gathered in the
company of current majors, faculty, administrators, and invited guests
to present a panel discussion on what the Religious Studies major has
meant to their lives since graduation. We rejoice in our alumnae and
present majors, all of them women who chose as undergraduates to embrace
the study of their faith and to address open-ended issues and questions
for which there are no easy answers.
(Standing) Molly Kahn, '01; Sara Koehler, '70; Therese
Johnson
Borchard, '93; Susan Wyffels Horner, '93;
(Seated) Angie Appleby
Purcell, '91; Cyndi Jean Taylor, '88; Rachel Tómas Morgan, '91
"The Religious Studies Major"
By Therese J. Borchard
What could a person
possibly do with a religion degree?
Lots! That's
according to a panel of Saint Mary's College
alumnae invited to talk about what they have done since graduation
for the 60th anniversary of the Religion/Theology/Religious
Studies Major at the college.
"I'm so glad I had
the opportunity to take classes at Saint
Mary's like Dr. Incandela's 'The Problem of Evil,'" said Susan
Wyffels Horner, '93. "As a state prosecutor, I see some pretty
awful things. I'm grateful that I had an opportunity to study and
discuss things like justice and evil before going to work in the
courtroom."
Cynthia Jean Taylor, '88 also confronts her share of ugly
things as a social worker. Helping the homeless one case at a
time, she is doing religion at the grass roots level.
"When I feel lazy at times . . . when I think, 'this guy is
just
too mentally ill to ever make it,' that's when I go back and
remember my religion classes, why I am involved helping the poor
in the first place," she told the current majors.
Rachel Tómas Morgan, '91 also dedicates herself to the
pursuit of social justice, not just in our country but abroad. She
credits her coursework at Saint Mary's for giving her the
foundation she needed in her work abroad, as a new graduate
from Saint Mary's, and now with the Center for Social Concerns at
Notre Dame.
Angie Appleby
Purcell, '91 has managed to keep one very
active hand in lay ministry despite three little ones demanding to
be fed, bathed, and dressed at home. After some initial work in
ministry, she went on to earn her M.Div. from Notre Dame, and
has been working in ministry ever since.
And two alumnae,
Sara Koehler, '70 and Molly Kahn, '01,
continue to call on their education at Saint Mary's College in their
"ministry" as high school teachers; Sara teaches Religion, and
Molly teaches English. "I wasn't sure I wanted to 'do anything' with
the degree," said Sara, "but the study of theology fascinated me.
Then, volunteer jobs in parishes led to paying jobs. Now I've
been happily teaching high school theology classes for 23 years."
All panelists began
with a'similar anecdote.
"I went home one day and said, 'Mom, Dad, I'm majoring in
Religion!' Next came a pregnant pause, followed by a cough and
a sigh. And then the expected, 'What are you going to do with
that?'"
But if the panelists taught the
current majors any lesson with their
varied stories and experiences, it is this: anything is possible with
this degree!