Meaning
Religious narratives, practices and institutions seek wisdom on matters that are intrinsically important to us all – matters such as life and death, love and sex, personal destiny, suffering, transcendence, the old ways versus the new ways, and the quest for significance. To study religion is to ask what it means to live deeply and well, and to see how brilliantly – and how differently – human beings can answer this question.

Community
Religious institutions are primary vehicles for human community. By investigating religious beliefs, rituals, narratives, symbols, and texts, we gain rich insight about how human communities understand themselves, the deity, and the world in which they live.

Career
The study of religion can prepare you for a wide variety of fields, including international business, law, diplomacy, government, social service, media and education. Any career that demands a refined sensitivity to human cultures, values and aspirations will value students trained in the academic study of religion.

Globalism
In our globalized, multi-cultural world, we have unprecedented opportunities to encounter religious beliefs and practices very different from those we grew up with. The ability to recognize, interpret and decipher the religious aspects of culture has become crucial for successfully navigating the extraordinarily diverse world we now inhabit.

Conflict
Conflicting religious values are often cited as an explanation for some of humankind’s most intractable problems. When we study religions, we shed light on the sources of some of these conflicts. Paradoxically, but hopefully, the study of religion also may provide resources for peace, justice and compassion. 

Ubiquity
Scholars differ over what religion is and whether it should even be analyzed separately from other human phenomena. But there is no denying that the vast majority of humankind participates in activities that have come to be called "religious." To understand others -- and to understand ourselves -- we need to examine the roles that religious beliefs and behaviors play in people's lives.

Interdisciplinary
Drawing directly on all the humanities and social sciences, the academic study of religion is an excellent way to practice and apply other disciplines. And religion, because it invites so many disciplinary perspectives, is also a subject that invites us to think in a fuller, more integral way about human life.