College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Dartmouth College
• Stanford University
• New York University
• Princeton University
• Duke University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of California—Berkeley
• College of William and Mary
• University of California—San Diego
• University of Virginia

Classes in the Major

World Views. Like we said earlier, every religion seeks to understand the meaning of life one way or another. These courses provide an overview of the different ways that major religions like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, and Hinduism approach these big questions. These classes also discuss the context and popularity of these religions in different cultures around the world. For example, why is Christianity, which came from Judaism, as popular as it is when Jesus is seen as a "false prophet" in Judaism? (Short answer: colonialism.)

Mythology and Mysticism. Many religions are full of tales of miracles and magic that some believe are real, and others believe are myth. Regardless of what/whether you believe, this class will provide discussion on the different aspects of human experience with regard to religion. You'll also study various creation myths and folklore before comparing them to religious texts. Tolkien, anyone?

Religion and Secularization. It's easy to look back in time and think, "Boy, those guys were way more religious than we are today." Is this true, though? Just because church was required and "heretic" was on society's list of top 5 most-used words, there's no way we can get into each person's head to examine their actual belief system. These courses target the idea of secularization in the world and consider the role it's played across history.

Culture and History. It's not enough to learn religious doctrine—you also have to learn the basics of the religious language. A culture and history course will be of literary aid whithersoever thou goest, and will help you understand that being your brother's keeper doesn't involve catching quaffles.

Learning about language rocks enough as it is, but taking a culture and history course will also teach you the history and culture of that language, like the difference between ancient and contemporary dialects, and the difference between a religion's conversational language and its written word. Plus, you'll also learn what not to say to people—cultural taboos galore.

Sociology. The concept of religion is probably one of the most interesting aspects of human behavior. At least, that's what sociologists like Émile Durkeim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber think. Sociology courses are crucial to understanding why certain trends exist among believers and non-believers at the individual, social, and global level, and the three aforementioned dudes are at the forefront of this discussion.