As its Mission Statement declares, Saint Mary's College seeks to cultivate a "Christian community of intellectual inquiry." As an instance of this goal, the College seeks to provide "an open forum where students freely and critically study the rich heritage of the Catholic tradition." The Department of Religious Studies plays a crucial role within this part of the College's mission by seeking to create an academic environment for the open study of religion and for serious theological inquiry. The department is firmly committed to St. Anselm's definition of theology as "faith seeking understanding." This both grounds our commitment to the rigors and virtues of the intellectually examined religious life and distinguishes us from the primarily pastoral approach of Campus Ministry. Our respect for the faith life of our students is shaped by our desire to give them the critical skills they need to appropriate that faith more maturely and responsibly and to live it more fully and truly. We hope, therefore, to proffer students (a) the occasion for investigating without inhibition the meaning and truth of religious claims, (b) the obligation and the courage to risk a conversation with people, ideas, texts and traditions which appear different and challenging to their own perspectives, and (c) the responsibility for critical thinking and reasoned argumentation in the development and advancement of their own views.

As ideals, these goals reflect (a) the long-standing Catholic tradition of bringing faith and reason (or belief and intellect) together in a complementary, dialectical relationship; (b) the open and ecumenical ethos of the post-Vatican II Catholic church; and (c) our own position as faculty in the academic world of late twentieth century America. Given the relative absence of women in the history of Catholic theology, the advancement of these goals in an institution dedicated to educating women also reflects (d) the College Mission's commitment to "the rights and responsibilities of women in the worlds of work, church and community."

The Department of Religious Studies consists of seven full time professors and a few others who teach part-time. All Religious Studies faculty possess Ph.D.s and are active scholars involved in a wide range of professional activity from writing projects to participation in scholarly societies. The faculty in the department have, combined, over a hundred years of teaching experience and are responsible for staffing two core courses for every Saint Mary's student. The first core course (RLST 101), usually taken in the student's first year, is meant to enlarge her understanding of religion and stretch her imagination beyond the familiar to think about religious life and culture from new and unexpected angles. The second course (RLST 200 level) in Religious Studies, usually taken in the sophomore year, tries to channel the broadened understanding opened up by the first core to specific issues and applications within the Christian tradition, and most especially to issues, events, and authors arising in the Catholic world. Faculty teach different courses to fulfill this second requirement, but each considers a major theme in the Christian doctrinal tradition (e.g., God, Jesus, church, sacraments, ethics, social teaching, etc.).

Besides their responsibilities for teaching required courses, Religious Studies faculty also contribute their talents to a rigorous majors' program and seek to serve the wider college community by offering challenging, upper-level electives to students from other majors who have already completed their Religious Studies requirement. Outstanding junior and senior Religious Studies majors may also be eligible for The David J. Murphy Carmelite Scholarship in Theology, the largest endowed scholarship in the humanities at Saint Mary's. Through the continual self-scrutiny which is the price-tag for professionalism, the department's faculty respond to the changing needs, talents, and interests of our students through a commitment to excellent teaching, professional development, technological innovation, and service to the wider college community.