Religion Department at Wright State University

WSU Academic Calendar \| CoLA Calendar "Do We Have Common Biblical Language Anymore?" - Transcript of Dr. Eric Friedland's Feb 27th lectur e
Why Study Religion? Mission Statement After Graduation Courses and Degree Information Faculty & Staff News & Events Internet Resources on Religion Support the Department Check out CoLA's Facebook page.	Why Study Religion? Since religion is so much a part of human life at every level, studying religion is a way of getting broad perspective on many aspects of human society and culture. Religion may be studied in various ways by: Emphasizing its sacred literature Tracing the different traditions it has shaped around the globe Seeing the way such concerns as art, ethics, and the quest for meaning in society and in history have been enriched by it through philosophy and theology Exploring the relationship to and influence upon social systems Examining it as patterns of thought The study of religion has always incorporated various ways of understanding human experience, drawn from the humanities, the sciences, and the social sciences, in clarifying the data that help us understand important human concerns. The study of religion is therefore interdisciplinary in its fundamental attitude. At the same time, it has a distinctive role among the disciplines and departments of the University, giving scholarly attention to tracing the human response to the transcendent dimension of experience. In this way the beliefs, the ethics, the rituals and forms of community, and the sense of meaning that life has for individuals and for groups, come into view in the various human cultures. Send questions about religion studies or about the department to: religion@wright.edu .
370 Millett Hall, 8:30-5:00 . 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy . Dayton, OH 45435 . PH 937-775-2274 . FAX 937-775-2892 If you are interested in helping update these pages, consider becoming a WEB DESIGN INTERN. Send web page questions or comments to: cola_webmaster@wright.edu Last updated April 16, 2007

Why Study Religion?

Since religion is so much a part of human life at every level, studying religion is a way of getting broad perspective on many aspects of human society and culture. Religion may be studied in various ways by:

Emphasizing its sacred literature
Tracing the different traditions it has shaped around the globe
Seeing the way such concerns as art, ethics, and the quest for meaning in society and in history have been enriched by it through philosophy and theology
Exploring the relationship to and influence upon social systems
Examining it as patterns of thought

The study of religion has always incorporated various ways of understanding human experience, drawn from the humanities, the sciences, and the social sciences, in clarifying the data that help us understand important human concerns. The study of religion is therefore interdisciplinary in its fundamental attitude.

At the same time, it has a distinctive role among the disciplines and departments of the University, giving scholarly attention to tracing the human response to the transcendent dimension of experience. In this way the beliefs, the ethics, the rituals and forms of community, and the sense of meaning that life has for individuals and for groups, come into view in the various human cultures.

Send questions about religion studies or about the department to: religion@wright.edu .