What students, faculty, and recent graduates say about Religion at Principia.

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This subject sparks thought

"The religion major isn't just another academic pursuit," says a recent graduate. "There's a really deep meaning in what we're studying, and it can change the world if we get educated about it." Religion majors, says a professor, are "interested in defining who they are, getting a better sense of their own values, their abilities, how they fit in the world, and that's exactly what we do in the religion courses . . . . Ask the deep questions, really explore alternatives, and be wide open to different points of view about the meaning of life and values and how to cope with some of the complexities we see around us." A senior adds, "I like the way it promotes thought." Another student agrees, saying, "The religion major challenges what I think, how I think, and why I think the way I think—is this right, is that wrong?"

The application of timeless ideas

"Religion is so fundamental to all of us, even to those who aren't 'religious'—atheists, for instance. But for them, there's still that religious base to go against. It's so fundamental to all of our lives," says a junior who also has a minor in art history. "It applies to every single topic that I study," says a senior also majoring in biology. Another junior remarks that she has formed a greater appreciation for the breadth of the Bible's teachings on modern issues, saying, "It's so applicable to today in everything—race, feminism, AIDS, politics, divorce, marriage, love, hate, I mean everything. The Bible talks about it in some form. That's why I chose the religion major." The best part of the religion major, says one professor, is "the fun of coming to grips with ideas that seem to be timeless, and yet seeing their origin two thousand years ago. . . . Students say, 'I had no idea the connections I could make between the Biblical world and my own time.' . . . The students learn to think more broadly, compassionately, and analytically."

Relating to people of all religions

"Studying religion here has allowed me to delve into every aspect of religious belief," says a senior. "It will challenge your thought," says a sophomore religion major, "and will give you a new perspective on your own religion as well as other religions. So far, I've taken Judaism and Holocaust Studies; I'm about to take Christianity. The religion major really gives a neat perspective on other religions and how to feast off your own." Another aspect of the religion major, says a senior, is "getting to know people a little better and learning to understand them—not necessarily to stereotype a person as being part of a certain religious group, but to understand what is valuable to him or her. . . . The religion major has definitely helped me see a broad view of all sorts of religions and to see how they all interact and are part of a whole."

Persistence required

"I love all the different kinds of classes," says a junior religion major, "Health and Healing in the Bible, History of Religions, learning specifically about the Old and New Testaments. My favorite part about the major is that the Bible is no longer a cryptic text to me." A sophomore, equally enthusiastic about religion, says, "I love religion itself and talking about the topic. It's really increasing my presentation skills and my paper-writing skills. One of the big things I'm learning is how to take a subject that I love and really apply myself to it, learning how to analyze and critique religious works and so forth." A senior, whose focus within the major is mythology, says, "The major requires persistence. . . . I've really explored and expanded my ability to think clearly, rationally, and to support what it is that I think. It's given me the ability to qualify academically my answers to questions asked of me. It's really given me a thought process, and that's one way it's prepared me for life. I think with that clear sense of focus, personally and socially it's opened me up to other religions. It's let me see what's out there, how my religion fits in society."

A different look at Christian Science

Even though Christian Science is not taught in the classroom at Principia, one senior finds that "it has helped me grow in Christian Science amazingly well, being able to look at what's behind what I'm reading in the Bible. It makes you more a part of what it is you're living." And another senior adds, "The religion major helps you understand your own ethics and where they come from, and it helps you understand the Bible more, mostly because we all talk about the Bible as scholars. It makes it more like a book that's applicable to everything in your life."

Becoming citizens of the world

When asked how her religion major was preparing her for life after college, one junior responded: "Research, questioning, thinking, resolving, writing, all the practical steps of a liberal arts education are preparing me for the future. It's definitely broadened my perspectives." Another religion major points out, "Right now I can look at a lot of other religions and be able to identify and communicate with a lot more people. That's a very useful skill, especially in the business world." In the view of Principia religion faculty, their graduates are equipped "to become citizens of the world, to think more broadly, to think outside of themselves." One recent graduate, in addition to pursuing a Ph.D. in New Testament studies, is developing a business that will offer Internet access to other religion students. Adds a professor, "We've had people go on to professional careers in law, entrepreneurship, education, the Christian Science practice, journalism, social work, and other things that require that kind of empathy, clear thinking, fearlessness, and an ability to relate to others at a deep level."