A major in religion will give you skills in critical thinking, cultural competency, written and oral communication, and socio-political awareness. It will deepen your knowledge of historical contexts, raise your information literacy, and help you to understand and engage multiple perspectives on difficult topics. It can also help you to understand, investigate and deepen your own religious faith or spirituality. Worldwide, more than 80 percent of people self-identify as religious or affiliated with some religious group. This type of major can provide a key to understanding and engaging others on what they care about most. If you’re deciding whether or not this major is best for you, check out the answers to these questions!
What are some examples of majors in the religion department?
Degree programs vary from college to college. Potential majors in the religion department are Bible and Theology, Religion, Worship Arts, Youth Ministry, Biblical Studies and more.
What courses do I take for a religion major?
Courses prepare students to think critically and meditate thoughtfully on the world through a biblical worldview. Classes will explore spiritual disciplines, historical studies, communication skills and biblical understanding. Examples of popular religion courses are Introduction to Old Testament, Introduction to New Testament, Biblical Worldview, Exegetical Studies and Christian Theology.
Are there religion minors?
Many liberal arts institutions have minors associated with their religion department. Some examples to explore are Bible and Theology, Youth Ministry, Worship Arts, and Peace and Conflict Studies minors. Talk with your advisor to see what minors best pair with your major. You don’t have to have a religion major to get a religion minor. Choose the classes that best interest you to make up your minor.
What can I do with a religion major? What jobs are related?
The world’s your oyster. Like many liberal arts degrees, religious studies open up multiple career paths. Graduates with religion or Bible and theology majors can become ministers, parachurch organization leaders, teachers, counselors, non-profit workers, advancement and fundraising officers, social service advocates, community organizers, authors, religious studies professors and other higher education personnel. Many find out that their next steps include graduate school. Faculty work with students on an individual basis to shape their education to their own senses of calling and to have clear action plans for employment or whatever comes next after graduation.
At Bluffton…
Bluffton University offers a liberal arts education rooted in the historic Mennonite peace tradition. The religion department teaches the skills of critical thinking, aims to deepen students’ commitments to God, exposing the Anabaptist and Mennonite tradition, and offering in-depth biblical study.
Bluffton’s Bible and Theology major has a deliberately low number of credit hours for completing the major (38 hours). We encourage students who declare a Bible and Theology major to allow the major to fit their vocational goals by also declaring a second major or one or more minors.
Written by Kaylee Rauch ’26, public relations student assistant, with information from Dr. J. Alexander Sider, professor of Bible and Religion