Program Overview
Religion is deeply intertwined with many aspects of human culture, connecting to morality and ethics, law and politics, science, art, and music.
Lawrence’s religious studies program offers courses in religious traditions from world religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam, as well as interdisciplinary courses that explore the broader implications of religious traditions throughout history and the world.
Students of any religious affiliation (or none) and any declared major, can benefit from the academic study of religion. Entry-level courses (i.e., 100- and 200-level) require no prerequisite and consider an array of traditions, texts, theories, and/or topics, while upper-level courses explore specific subjects in greater detail. All our courses encourage students to think critically while fostering an understanding of diverse viewpoints and ways of being in the world.
Spotlight
Lawrentian Spotlight
Student Perspective
“It connects to so many different facets of life, politics and the environment and the way different societies work and language. I’m super interested in etymology and the way that language shapes our understandings of the world around us, and religion plays a huge role in that.”
Maddy Tevonian ’24
Religious Studies
Wilmette, Illinois
Experience religion through travel
Widen your cross-cultural understanding of religious expression through opportunities to visit regional religious communities and international sites in places like Nepal and Senegal.
Connect the dots of human faith and culture with self-directed research
Delve deep into your particular interest within religious studies with independent research.
The Chandler Senior Experience
The Department of Religious Studies’ Senior Experience is a one-term senior seminar (usually taught in the Spring Term) that examines approaches to the study of religion selected from a school of thought or a more eclectic group of authors. Seniors will participate in an informal departmental colloquium, in which your work is presented and discussed by majors, minors, and faculty.
If you are pursuing double majors, double degrees, and education certification, we encourage you to consult with your advisors and relevant department plans to negotiate your overall Senior Experience as early as possible, especially if you’re interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary capstone that integrates your majors or student teaching project.
Recent Senior Experience projects include:
- I Love You God (P.S. We’re Breaking Up): How Emerging Adults are Navigating Religious Ambiguity Through Taizé
- What Is the Meaning of Life? An Examination of the Nature and Ramifications of the Pursuit of the Meaning of Life
- The “Pure” Gods: The History of the Far-Right’s Longstanding Love Affair with Norse Neopaganism
Advising
At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
Get Started
Fill out the form below and a Lawrence University academic advisor will be in touch shortly!
Faculty
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
Chairs
Martyn Smith
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of…
View Full ProfileAll Faculty
Karen L. Carr
McNaughton Rosebush Professor of Liberal Studies and Professor of Religious Studies
View Full Profile
Learned M Foote (he/him)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
I teach courses in Religious Studies and Gender Studies. My research centers on early twentieth-century Tibetan Buddhist life writing, with a focus on the religious teacher Adzom Drukpa (1842-1924). My…
View Full Profile Martyn Smith
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of…
View Full Profile