The Religious Studies Department prepares majors to continue theological study and ministry training at the graduate level; to pursue graduate study in religion; and to make meaningful contributions in the vocations to which they feel called. Religious Studies courses offer all students the opportunity to explore the religious and spiritual dimensions of life, culture, and society. In keeping with the heritage of the Church of the Brethren and the mission of the college, departmental courses explore ways in which religious beliefs, practices, and traditions

•   promote peace within the human community;
•   commend the use of nonviolent methods of transforming conflict;
•   establish justice both locally and globally;
•   proclaim the essential worth of all human beings; and
•   encourage respect for diversity.
  

Religious Studies is a highly diversified discipline, which draws on a variety of scholarly methods and involves the empathetic study of myriad religious traditions. Our department reflects the historical, theological, scriptural, ethical and comparative aspects of this field. The faculty is therefore able to offer a balanced and thorough course of study for our students, including history of Christianity, Biblical studies, Christian theology and ethics, and comparative philosophy.

In keeping with the Brethren heritage of Elizabethtown College, the department emphasizes the study of nonviolent resistance and conflict resolution and fosters an understanding of the historical Brethren commitments to peace, justice and service. Thus, the department participates in the interdisciplinary minor in Peace and Conflict Studies, offers a minor in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, and provides extensive offerings in Biblical studies (including Biblical Hebrew and Greek). The Brethren emphasis on peacemaking and community, coupled with the recognition of the role that religion plays within violent conflict, also provide impetus to course offerings designed to enhance the student's understanding and appreciation of a variety of religious traditions.

As Elizabethtown College enters its second century, the Religious Studies department seeks to strengthen the college's connection to its religious heritage, while at the same time, responding to contemporary developments and challenges. In upcoming years, therefore, the department plans to orient its curriculum and program toward the following ends:

•   to foster individual spiritual understanding and genuine interfaith dialogue;
•   to encourage students to study abroad and see themselves as global citizens;
•   to enable students to live out their faith through ongoing acts of service to community;
•   to implement further opportunities for service-learning in the community and through travel;
•   to improve the link between Religious Life and Religious Studies on the campus;
•   to increase the number of Religious Studies majors and to guide Religious Studies majors toward a second major or minor that strengthens their vocational opportunities or graduate school possibilities;
•   to equip students to engage in quality scholarship, research methods and writing;
•   to foster a genuine love of learning and intellectual curiosity;
•   to challenge our students to think both critically and constructively;
•   to create a sense of community within the department.

In sum, the Religious Studies department envisions graduates who have been instilled with a sense of their own religious identity, a love of learning, a global sensibility, and a commitment to service so that they will make a genuine contribution to whatever vocation they pursue.