Why be a Religious Studies Major?

I am often asked by fellow students, parents on tours, my own parents, and many others I come into contact with why I chose to major in Religious Studies.  My quick response which I have crafted over the past four years has been simply, “think of it as the equivalence of a history major.”  The typical response is a quick head nod and, “Ahh, I see.”  But do they really? 

            Being a Religious Studies major is more than the equivalence of a history major, but often there is not the time necessary to fully explain my decision on selecting what many consider an unconventional major.  This paper will examine my decision of choosing to study religion, the benefits of the education I have selected, and the misnomers that often come with it.

            I started my education at Saint Michael's College with a declared major in History.  That first semester I decided to take one history course, Early Latin America, along with other classes that filled my Liberal Studies Requirements.  In high school I had participated in Model OAS, a college accredited course styled after Model UN but focused on

Latin America

.  Having an extremely positive experience in this course for two years I strongly believed that my interests lay in studying global history, with an emphasis on

Latin America

.  Unfortunately the Early Latin America course at Saint Michael's did not meet my expectations.  I unfortunately had an adjunct professor and while I realized it was unfair to base my entire opinion of the history department on him, I still was not impressed.  I also did not feel I was receiving much support from my history advisor, and as an unknowledgeable freshman this greatly upset me.

            At this time I was also taking Varieties of Christianity with Professor Kroger.  The class quickly became my favorite and I realized I might want to further pursue my studies in the area of religion.  However, I noticed when it came time to pick courses that only sophomores were allowed to take 200-level Religion courses.  Professor Kroger was going to teach Political Liberation Theology, a course based on Latin American history, that coming spring.  I still believed that Latin American history was my calling and I did not want to miss out on this opportunity, so I declared a minor in Religious Studies because then Professor Kroger would allow me to take the class.

            It did not take much convincing after this to switch my major from History to Religious Studies.  The more I interacted with the faculty in the Religious Studies department, the stronger I could sense my belonging there.  To this day I say to anyone who will listen how I believe the RS faculty are among the most supportive and caring faculty on campus.  I think testimony to this is found by the sheer number of students who know the faculty well, despite the fact that they are not majors.  Despite my independent nature, I welcome their support whole-heartedly and appreciate their advice and wisdom.

            There are a great number of benefits to majoring in Religious Studies.  First of all, while there are set requirements, there are very few classes that are required for all majors.  Instead we are encouraged to explore the areas of Religious Studies that we find most attractive, which leads some students to focus highly on non-Christian religious, or the ethics of Christianity for example.  My focus has been the period immediately before and following the birth and death of Jesus Christ therefore I have taken classes in New Testament studies, Early Christianity, Judaism, and the Greco-Roman world.  The requirements in the major are feasible, unlike other majors on campus.  This allows students to also pursue other fields and pick up double majors, or minors.  For awhile I was a double major with Classics, however with an increased interest in Business I chose a minor in Classics so that I could also minor in Marketing and pick up some Management courses.

            A major in Religious studies also improves ones reading, writing, discussion, and analytical skills.  Classes are based on discussion from previous reading, and often religion can be so nuanced one has to undertake a careful examination of the text.  There are often no right answers or interpretations when studying texts that are thousands of years old, therefore students have the ability to develop analytical skills that allow them to critically question and study documents as if they are the first scholars to look at them.  Through various presentations and simply in-class discussions students also develop public speaking skills which can be very useful in many areas of life.

            There is no other major on campus that combines the arts, history, philosophy, politics, global studies, language, sociology, psychology, and ethics all together like Religious Studies.  I have studied the music and art of Hindus and Celtic Christians, the history of many of the world’s major religions, philosophy of the Greco-Romans and how different people understand God, the politics surrounding Political Liberation Theology, the cultures of countries across the world, the language of Ancient Greece, and Christian ethics on modern-day issues.  Some of my courses were cross-referenced with other disciplines, and many more should have been.  It is an incredibly comprehensive major and no two classes are ever the same.  Now more than ever our world is realizing how religion plays such a large role into how people think and what they do. 

            My major in Religious Studies prepared me for the hardest academic experience I have ever faced, studying abroad at

Oxford

University

for a semester.  I chose to study religion there, an opportunity I would not have had if I was not a major at Saint Michael's College.  I took two courses, one on Early Christian Theology and the other on the Protestant Reformation.  At Saint Michael's College I was given the necessary preparation required to study at

Oxford

.  My major taught me how to write a solid research paper, as I have written one or more nearly every semester since declaring my Religious Studies major.  It also taught me how to research the paper, read primary texts, and decipher secondary sources.  I was also prepared to defend and support what I wrote in my papers at

Oxford

to my teachers who were evaluating me there. 

            I often am faced with people who do not understand my major.  Friends think I am studying theology, my grandpa thinks I am going to be a nun, employers expect that I am focused on non-profits, acquaintances assume I am devoutly Catholic, and many question what I can “do” with a major in Religious Studies.  I do not mean to associate negative connotations with any of these “conclusions” that people make about me, but many of them are not true.  I simply love to study the history of many different people and I find it fascinating how different cultures have developed different understandings of the divine. 

            What can I “do” with a major in Religious Studies?  The real question should be what can’t I do?  I could choose to one day teach Religion in a high school or become a campus minister. In fact, I can graduate and work just about anywhere I want to, whether that job has any direct connection to Religious Studies or not.  My goal is to attend the

Harvard

Business

School

in a few years and there has never been a moment where I regretted selecting to major in Religious Studies and not Business.  I have gained a greater understanding of people and their values through my major, and my communication skills have improved immensely.

            Why not major in Religious Studies?  Beyond the technical skills you develop, there is opportunity to understand people and their cultures, learn new languages, and most importantly engage in a little self-discovery in the process.  Perhaps not everyone will understand my major, but that is what makes it interesting.  In every interview I have attended the first question the interviewer always asks is, “A major in Religious Studies?  Why is that?”  When I articulate the benefits of my major and how it has prepared me to work for their company they are often impressed because it is something they never thought of before.  To be honest, it makes me unique and unforgettable which is exactly where I want to be in the eyes of a future employer.

Comments

[Sara]

Rock on! I am also a RS major, and am used to being judged the way you described. Unless one studies religion, they can't 'get it.'

I agree with everything you said! I also have to say I love the weird labels I get. I am not like everyone else and that's OK.

[Ariel]

I'm going through the process of deciding if I want to major in Religious Studies. Right now the classes I have been taking fascinate me beyond any other class. The only thing stopping me is that I really don't know what I would do after college with the degree. What are you doing??

[Mallory Wood]

I actually am working for Saint Michael's in the Marketing department, although I was working for Admissions up until a month ago! My feeling is that the core liberal arts majors: history, RS, poli sci, english, etc. are more or less all giving you the same experience. You'll perform better academically if you choose the one you love the most.