加州州立大学贝克斯菲尔德分校

The primary mission of the religious studies program is to provide an objective, nonsectarian program of study. The program is intended (1) to enable students to become acquainted with current scholarship in the study of religion, (2) to increase student understanding of the role religion plays in the lives of individuals, societies and diverse cultures, and (3) to help students improve their skills in writing and critical thinking, particularly with reference to religion. The academic study of religion is part of the liberal arts tradition, which seeks to make students more informed, more thoughtful and more tolerant citizens.

In religious studies, we focus on the manifold way’s religion has shaped and continues to shape our world. The influence of religion can be seen in law and government, family and parenting practices, the arts and human creativity, economics and social structures. It pervades the way we think about life, death, morality, justice, truth, and love. In the academic study of religion, we examine religion from outside the framework of any particular belief system. The approach is cross-cultural in content and multi-disciplinary in approach. As a result, we explore a wide variety of religious traditions and bring a broad palette of interpretive tools to better understand them. We present religion as a lived experience, one that can illuminate the causes, meanings, and implications of current events. At CSUB, the surrounding religious environment provides a fertile and important arena to witness the living out of diverse religious traditions. Whether the subject is local or far-off, contemporary or ancient, the field of religious studies seeks to understand religion in its many different manifestations.

As majors in religious studies, you will explore some of the most important and intriguing forms religion takes across the planet. At the end of your studies, you will be able to…

describe, interpret, and compare the important beliefs and practices of the major religious traditions of the world, using appropriate academic methods.

identify and explain various approaches to the study of religion that have informed the academic discipline of religion throughout its history.

discuss intelligently the role of religion in our contemporary world.

think critically, develop arguments, and communicate them clearly in written and spoken form.

Religious Studies majors have gone into careers in a variety of fields that require creative thinking, subtle analysis, and strong written and oral communication skills. Graduates from CSUB have obtained positions in journalism, publishing, international business, teaching, social work, marketing, ministry, and human relations. Medical and law schools have historically looked favorably on students who double major in Religious Studies.