The Major in Religious Studies consists of seven courses beyond the two
core RLST
classes required of every Saint Mary's student. (See the College's General
Education Requirements.) You can
view a sample
schedule of your four years at Saint Mary's to get a sense of how
these courses might be spaced out and obtain a checklist of
requirements and comprehensive
exam and Advanced W responsibilities. You can also download
a form for declaring a major in Religious Studies.
All Religious
Studies majors must take one course in each of the following five areas:
Theory gives us eyes to see. The theory of theology
holds
theology itself up to a mirror in a self-reflective, introspective moment
to
analyze sources, root assumptions, and techniques for proceeding. It
asks how
should theologians go about their work of faith seeking understanding?
What
other disciplines may bring light to the theological endeavor? What
sources
should be consulted and how should they be used? This search for
structure
within theology enhances the ability to develop sounder and clearer
theological
insights. This course
will develop the ability to weigh reflectivity and evaluate
carefully
the factors (such as subject matter, audience, cultural context, and
philosophical assumptions) that shape a given theology.
Courses satisfying this requirement:
Christians consider the Bible both revelation and canon. That is, they find in them the framework
for understanding their faith in God and the kind of life they ought to live. A study of the
Scriptures is, therefore, foundational to informed Christian theological discourse. In recent
years, the study of both Testaments has been greatly enhanced by new methodologies. Courses
fulfilling this requirement will develop the abilities to read Scripture with the discipline of
modern methodologies and to
understand the ways Scripture has been interpreted in the tradition.
Course satisfying this requirement:
Historical Theology operates on the principle that history matters to
theology,
not as an auxiliary discipline, but as a way of doing theology, as a way
of
âunderstanding faith and doctrine. Historical Theology seeks to locate
the
origins of doctrines and traces their evolution, including the impact on
these
doctrines made by major and lesser-known theologians from the tradition.
This
process requires the full rigor of historical criticism at the same time
that it
asks theological questions of its texts and contexts. Courses in
Historical
Theology study
texts in their contexts to know how theological doctrines developed as
they
moved through history and as a way to inform the work of theology.
Courses satisfying this requirement:
Systematic Theology stands at the heart of the theological enterprise.
Drawing
on Biblical Studies for critical readings of biblical texts, on
Historical
Theology for reconstructions of the development of tradition, and on
Theory of
Theology for philosophical accounts of human experience, the systematic
theologian undertakes a constructive dialogue between the wisdom of
Scripture
and tradition and the questions and experiences of contemporary life and
culture. Standing at the meeting place of Christian heritage and
contemporary
life, the theologian works to articulate the meaning and truth of
Christian
doctrines in a way which is both faithful to scripture and tradition and credible to contemporary experience. While a full-fledged systematic
theology
seeks a comprehensive understanding of Christian doctrines and their
interconnections, courses in systematic theology usually take a single
area of doctrine (Church, grace, Christ, God, etc.) as their starting point.
Examples of courses satisfying this requirement:
Ethical Studies is the comprehensive examination of Christian living with a
particular focus on the theological as well as the moral convictions that
inform Christian action. The doing of ethics is integral to the very
process of theological reflection. Such an activity involves both
theories of morality (how
to envision the moral life) as well as the specific practices (how actions
both shape and reflect theological beliefs) that embody those theories.
Therefore, ethical studies is in dialogue with Systematic Theology,
Historical Theology, Biblical Studies, and Theory of Theology.
Since it is the Christian
conviction that God is active in history, ethical studies seeks to
describe that nexus where the historical Christian witness intersects
contemporary culture. Courses fulfilling this requirement will enable
students to gain both a critical and appreciative understanding of
Christian moral thought and practice.
Course satisfying this requirement:
For their remaining
two courses, majors will be strongly advised to explore
the wide range of departmental electives at the 300 and 400 levels.
Through
these courses, students will encounter different methods of studying
religion
and different ways of doing theology in areas such as ethics, Christian
life and
spirituality, pastoral theology, religion and culture, religion and
women, and world religions.
Those interested in ethics might also consider
Those interested in pastoral theology might consider
Those interested in religion and culture might consider
Those interested in the history of religions or world religions might
consider
In addition to the above course requirements, students whose only or
primary
major is in Religious Studies take a comprehensive examination during their
final year of studies. Double-majors may take their comp either
in Religious Studies orin their other department, with this one
qualification: A student who may be a Biology/Religious Studies double
major, for example, must comp in Biology if she wants the BS degree, or
must comp in Religious Studies if she wants a BA.
All
students in the college must demonstrate advanced proficiency in
writing in her major field. This is called getting the Advanced W. Each
department determines its own requirements for proficiency. Just as for
the comprehensive exam, students who are double-majors may do their
Advanced W either in Religious Studies or in their second major. And so
one can do both comp and Advanced W in any combination between two
majors: both in one major, both in the other major, or one in each.
If you have questions about majoring in Religious Studies, e-mail the
chairman of the department, Phyllis Kaminski
