About

The Field

Religious studies focuses on the academic study of religion. It aims to understand religion, not to promote or undermine any religious perspective.

Religious studies is by its nature interdisciplinary. From the earliest period, it combined historical analysis of the religion and culture of specific groups with a study of their foundational texts.

With the growth of the social sciences, the field later incorporated the approaches of anthropology, sociology, and psychology to study the "lived religion" of specific groups. More recently, the field has embraced various theoretical approaches to the study of religion.

Skills You Gain as a Religious Studies Major

Religious ideas and practices shape behavior throughout the world. Those who have a deep understanding of religion—how its features interact with and depend upon social and cultural contexts—are in a better position to grasp the salient aspects of religiously-based communication and interactions.

The religious studies major provides a knowledge base that is essential to understanding contemporary society. It exposes you to the diversity of the human experience, with respect to not only ideas and beliefs but also ritual and community practices and institutional arrangements.

With a religious studies major you can gain skills in:

textual analysis
direct observation
critical thinking
cross-cultural understanding

For more information, see the American Academy of Religion.

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Email: rels@umn.edu

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Last modified on November 13, 2009