The study of religion provides students the opportunity to examine experiences, ideas, practices, and beliefs that people have found meaningful throughout history and across the world, as well as how these meanings have manifested in world events and politics. PTI approaches religion as an object of humanistic inquiry rather than as a matter of personal beliefs or practices. We introduce students to the study of religion as an interdisciplinary field, drawing on historical, sociological, and philosophical works. Currently, the Religion program has offered one course, Religion 102: World Religions (with a focus on religions in America), which offered an introduction to the world’s major religions and how people in America have engaged them. Other courses the program may offer include World Religions with different regional focuses and Introduction to the Study of Religion, a course that asks students to examine what religion is and how we study it. PTI’s Religion program focuses on reading, writing, and research, developing students’ critical analysis and mechanical skills.

 

Religion 102: World Religions (with a focus on religions in America)

This is a comparative study of the world’s major religions, through a critical study of essential teachings and practices in historical and cultural context for religions such as Hinduism, Buddhist, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Daoism, and Confucianism, as well as pre- and post-colonial African and American traditions. In addition, we look at each of the religions we study in its American context, to develop an understanding of how differently religions may unfold as they travel across geographic boundaries and cultural contexts. The course covers sacred texts, scholarly readings, current events articles, and other primary and secondary sources.