The Department of Religion at Gustavus focuses on interdisciplinary religious studies to help students contribute to a better world community. In our classes - and in undergraduate and faculty research - we seek to contextualize religious traditions and beliefs with their real-world implications. Students learn to not only understand the core content and beliefs of diverse religious traditions but also how they manifest in the world. Studying religions provides perspective on how they coexist in dialogue and tension with different worldviews and philosophical and ethical cultures.
As a Religion student, you will develop skills that will enrich and reward you for the rest of your life. Our classes strengthen students' abilities to interact and engage with people from diverse backgrounds, religious or otherwise. By studying the origins of beliefs and practicing interreligious dialogue, Religion majors, minors, and general education students greatly improve their interpersonal communication abilities, constructing a diverse set of social, analytical, and philosophical tools that can apply to any pursuit beyond the classroom.
Majors and minors credit the Department's focus on writing, small-group learning, faculty-student mentorship, and the communal atmosphere of our student cohort as leading to their post-collegiate success.
Areas of teaching and research focus in the Department include Biblical Studies, Bioethics, Theology & Ethics, and Liberation Theology, as well as diverse broader religious traditions including Catholicism, Lutheranism, Buddhism, and Judaism.
When you become a student in the Religion Department at Gustavus Adolphus, you're joining a curious and supportive community of learners. The Gustavus Adolphus campus in St. Peter, MN, is a fun and safe place to learn and form supportive relationships with proximity to big-city communities and experiences. You're just minutes away from Mankato and less than an hour from the Twin Cities, where you will meet with a diverse group of religious communities.
The vast majority of people worldwide identify with a religious or spiritual-philosophical tradition, and they have a momentous influence on every aspect of social, political, economic, and ethical life. A degree in religion from Gustavus gives you a broad framework and a deep background for understanding the moral and existential questions that connect (and cause conflict between) communities and nations. Through your courses, you will gain the essential tools for thoughtfully reflecting upon conflicts and commonalities in faith and practice around the world, while also exploring the history and development of your own belief and faith systems.
Our faculty are highly accomplished, presenting their work at national and international forums, and publishing on topics like sexuality and Christianity, Buddhist philosophy, children and theology, medieval Catholic thought, and prophecy in the Hebrew Bible and Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Religion Department also offers a minor in Interreligious Leadership in Civic and Professional Life, which allows students across disciplines to develop the knowledge and leadership skills needed to navigate religious diversity in professional and civic contexts.
The Religion Department recently began offering a new minor, called Interreligious Leadership and Professional Life, with a two-fold focus. First, the new minor gives students the background and knowledge necessary to understand the religious diversity commonly found in the modern workplace. Second, it guides students in developing the skills to become leaders in interreligious dialogue and intercultural communication in their future workplaces, whether as HR directors, managers, consultants, or individual project coordinators.
The Åke and Kristina Bonnier Religion and Theology Reading Room is a new student resource space located in Old Main. The Reading Room is an old-fashioned space for study, thought, and conversation. With floor-to-ceiling bookcases, private desks, a big central table, and a couch for cozy reading, the room is a space for students and faculty to gather and indulge in the life of the mind.
Scholarship is practiced in a community, which is why the Religion Department encourages you to engage in learning and interfaith and academic dialogues outside the classroom. You may also get involved in different social and religious groups on campus, including the Theta Kappa Alpha honor society. Faculty also organize visits to cultural and religious sites and communities in the Twin Cities to connect with the diverse religious landscape in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. You are encouraged to take your religious studies abroad to explore your interests further, traveling anywhere you wish to go in the world.
Explore Opportunities in Religion
The Religion Department's faculty and students form a supportive and close-knit community of fun and curious learners. Thought-provoking explorations and conversations continue after class time ends. Students are motivated to gain skills for a career and develop insights into the questions and wisdom that shape human existence. Explore how this energized, connective department is making waves in interfaith culture on and off the hill.
“I think the Religion department and its professors are cognizant of the modern day requirements for humanities-based professions and create courses geared towards preparing students for life beyond college.” Coming to Gustavus partially for the seminar-style classes, Lachen has greatly appreciated the classroom environment that he has found within the Religion Department. He says, “Classes […]
The Religion Department will equip you to understand the context of complex and diverse world events. Through small-group learning, faculty-student mentorship, and a communal atmosphere, you will grow intellectually, personally, and socially with skills you can use to make a positive impact in an ever-changing world. Religious studies grow perspectives, build appreciation, and facilitate stronger communities. Now is your chance to contribute.
The Religion Department celebrated its annual George Hall Dinner on Tuesday, May 14, featuring student awards and an alumnus speaker, Dr. Danial Pioska (’04). Below is a little about our awards and this year’s winners: The Apologetics Award: Established in 1994 by a gift from Profs. Miles Johnson ’47 and Joyce Johnson ’50, the […]
