What is the meaning of life? How should we think about ethics, or even reality itself? Philosophy and religion tackle these and other fundamental questions in related and sometimes different ways. Both disciplines lie at the core of the humanities, and thus a liberal arts education. Philosophy, for example, often examines unstated assumptions underlying cultural practices and scholarly disciplines, from politics to physics. Religion, for its part, can be studied from a number of different angles, from sociology to psychology.

This combined program provides students with an understanding of key issues in philosophy and religious studies and helps them reflect deeply on their values, beliefs, and cultural identities. Graduates will go on to a range of careers, from working in museums to running non-profits. Many majors choose to pursue further study, whether in graduate school, seminary, or law school. We encourage capable students to double major with related fields such as English, sociology, political science, or environmental studies.

Major Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a major in philosophy and religious studies will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competence in critical thinking and analysis of arguments;
2. Articulate an understanding of the forces shaping culture and history;
3. Demonstrate skill in questioning, reflecting, and arriving at possible conclusions;
4. Analyze the ethical dimension of human action;
5. Develop in a self-critical way philosophical insights and positions supported by relevant experience and sound reasoning;
6. Confront, evaluate, and refine personal beliefs in historical context;
7. Apply skills in speaking and writing to communicate complex ideas.

Planning Your Philosophy and Religious Studies Major and Minor

First-year students interested in philosophy and religion or the classics are encouraged to take PHR 100: Introduction to Philosophy and Religious Studies or PHR 120: Classic Texts in Western Thought. As you progress in the department, there are offerings which run the gamut from environmental ethics to religion and film. We also offer a range of 300-400 level courses every year which focus on close textual study.

Major in Philosophy & Religious Studies

– 24 credit hours required
– Required courses: four upper-division courses (12 credits). At least one course on religion and one course on philosophy.

Minor Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a minor in philosophy and religious studies will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competence in critical thinking and analysis of arguments;
2. Articulate an understanding of the forces shaping culture and history;
3. Demonstrate skill in questioning, reflecting, and arriving at possible conclusions;
4. Analyze the ethical dimension of human action;
5. Develop in a self-critical way philosophical insights and positions supported by relevant experience and sound reasoning;
6. Confront, evaluate, and refine personal beliefs in historical context; and
7. Apply skills in speaking and writing to communicate complex ideas.

Minor in Philosophy & Religious Studies

– 12 credit hours required
– Required courses: two upper-division courses (6 credits). At least one course on religion and one course on philosophy.

PHR 100 – Introduction to Philosophy and Religious Studies

Semester: Fall and Spring
Semester hours: 3

This course attempts to address the question “Does thinking about the meaning of one’s life help us live better?” by studying a particular issue and some thought-provoking responses to it. The particular issue and texts will vary from year to year. Not open to juniors and seniors without instructor’s permission.

PHR 120 – Classic Texts in Western Thought

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 3

This course covers intensive readings in primary texts crucial to the Western tradition. Students will read from such authors as Homer, the Biblical prophets, the Greek dramatists, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Freud, and Nietzsche.

PHR 205 – Logic

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

An introductory course in the principles and methods used to distinguish correct from incorrect reasoning. This course aims to help students think and read critically and to write argumentative papers. Both inductive and deductive logic will be studied.

PHR 210 – Genres of Biblical Literature

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 3

This course provides an investigation of one specific genre of Biblical literature. Past topics have included Biblical narrative, the Gospels, the Psalms, and Paul.

PHR 211 – Ancient Philosophy

Semester: Fall; Odd years
Semester hours: 3

This course introduces students to great primary philosophical texts of the Western tradition, such as Plato’s “Republic,” and provides them with an overview of philosophy during this early period of its development.

PHR 212 – Modern Philosophy

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

Students examine major thinkers, ideas, and movements in philosophy from the Renaissance through the 19th century. This course is a continuation of PHR 211: Ancient Philosophy and will focus on the study of primary texts from Descartes, Hume, Kant, and others, while offering context through secondary sources. Students who wish to take PHR 212 at a higher level, with additional readings and extra writing assignments may do so under the title PHR 312.

PHR 218 – Topics in Catholicism

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

This course explores the central principles of the Catholic religion. From year to year the course focuses on a different aspect of Catholicism. Topics covered might include the creation of basic beliefs in the first three centuries, issues in modern Catholic thinking, Catholics and the Bible, a history of the Church, or great figures in Catholicism.

PHR 220 – Jesus

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3

Students will look at biblical sources as well as modern literary and theological interpretations to answer the question “Who was, or is, Jesus?” Issues to be addressed include: the quest for the “historical Jesus;” classical and contemporary Christology; and biblical hermeneutics.

PHR 236 – Religions of the World

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3

This course examines the central religious principles and ideas of major non-Christian religions. From year to year, the focus may be on different religions or areas of the world.

PHR 299 – Directed Reading

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 1-3

This course allows a student to devise and pursue independent study in an area agreed upon in consultation with, and supervised by, a faculty member. Students should be either a major or minor and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater.

PHR 303 – Ethics

Semester: Spring; Odd years
Semester hours: 3

A study relating ethics, as traditionally conceived in philosophy, to one or more current philosophical works in ethics. This course will provide students with a solid background in ethics, from Plato to Nietzsche. A discussion of a contemporary work in ethics will introduce students to topics that may be covered in depth in later seminars.

PHR 304 – Environmental Ethics

Semester: Fall; Even years
Semester hours: 3

This course will address issues such as whether natural beings and the natural world have rights or whether only humans have rights. Students will determine what is ethically appropriate for humans in their relationship with the environment as well as what environmental ethics must take account of to be consequential in the world today.

PHR 312 – Modern Philosophy

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

This course covers the same key thinkers, ideas, and movements in philosophy as PHR 212, but allows capable students to undertake additional readings and extra writing assignments for upper-division credit.

PHR 320 – Major Modern Religious Figures

Semester: Fall; Even years
Semester hours: 3

This course provides a study of the writings and, in some cases, the lives of major religious figures in the Western tradition.

PHR 321 – Major Philosophical Figures

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

This course provides a study of the writings and, in some cases, the life of a major philosophical thinker in the Western tradition.

PHR 330 – Religion and Film

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3

Analysis of several classic and modern films to understand their implications for ethics, religious meaning, and the nature of humanity. We will study films such as The Maltese Falcon, Paths of Glory, The Godfather, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Jesus of Montreal.

PHR 340 – Christian Ethics

Semester: Fall; Odd years
Semester hours: 3

How can a Christian make moral decisions? We will study potential biblical foundations for ethics and several modern Christian ethicists to understand how they move from the beliefs of Christianity to recommendations for specific ethical actions.

PHR 362 – Christian Theology

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

What does it mean to believe in God? When we talk about God are we talking about anything more than ourselves and our ideals and aspirations? This course investigates classical and modern Christian answers to this basic question.

PHR 370 – Spiritual Journeys

Semester: Spring; Odd years
Semester hours: 3

From “The Epic of Gilgamesh” to “The Odyssey” and the Book of Exodus, people have recounted travels that changed their lives. Travel is not just about transportation; it can also be a mode of transformation. In this course we will focus on journeys that lead to spiritual awakenings. We will take the classic American ‘road trip’ as our point of departure, looking at works as diverse as Jack Kerouac’s euphoric “On the Road” and Cormac McCarthy’s dystopian novel “The Road.”

PHR 375 – 20th Century Philosophy

Semester: Spring; Odd years
Semester hours: 3

The 20th century is characterized by a plurality of philosophical styles such as postmodernism, phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, deconstruction, analytic philosophy, pragmatism, and systematic philosophy. This course involves intensive study and critical evaluation of one or two of these styles.

PHR 378 – Philosophy of Technology and Modern Culture

Semester: Spring; Even years
Semester hours: 3

It is often a difficult task to understand one’s own culture and age. Recent philosophical work offers profound insights into our age and places these insights within a much wider context.

PHR 450 – Internship

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 1-12

This course is a guided work experience in an already established institution. The student must arrange the internship in agreement with the instructor and the Office of Career Services. The internship should relate to the student’s major or minor area of study. Contract is required. Pass/no pass grading.

Prerequisite: junior or senior standing

PHR 460 – Issues in Contemporary Religious Thought

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 3

This course will alternate in different years between examining one of two topics: Tragedy and Beauty. Both topics will be treated from an interdisciplinary perspective, utilizing theological, philosophical, and literary approaches. We will study writers including Sophocles, Shakespeare, Coleridge, Beckett, von Balthasar, Maritain, Eco, Steiner, and Eagelton.

PHR 483 – Senior Project

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 1-3

Students complete a senior project in consultation with a faculty member.

PHR 490 – Seminar

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 2-3

Intensive study of a selected area or figure in philosophy or religion is explored.

PHR 499 – Directed Reading

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 1-3

This course allows a student to devise and pursue independent study in an area agreed upon in consultation with, and supervised by, a faculty member. Students should be either a major or minor and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater.

Prerequisite: junior or senior standing

• David Strong, Professor
• Erik Van Aken, Instructor