Religious Studies

Religious studies is a major and a minor at F&M. Through a blended lens of humanities and social sciences, you will engage in unbiased studies and analyses of a variety of religious traditions embedded in myth, ritual, art, ethics, doctrine, philosophy, and literature. Most of all, you will explore what it means to be human by investigating the limits of human beings, their audacious explanations of the immaterial and transcendental, the extremity of their practices and beliefs, the ordinary ways in which they confront violence and suffering, and much more. 

By the time you graduate, you will be able to demonstrate: 

• Familiarity with a wide range of the major religious traditions through use of primary sources.
• The ability to approach objects, activities, and people from an unbiased, critical perspective. 
• A fluency in the basic theories of religion and a complex understanding of its historical contexts.
• Familiarity with social scientific methodologies for the study and analysis of religion as a living and evolving practice. 
• The ability to use your understanding of religion and religious belief systems to analyze current national and international events.

Curious what a course in religious studies is like? Explore our course catalog to see the depth and breadth available to you. 

We value individualized, independent study, and offer many opportunities for exploring the topics that intrigue you both on campus and around the world. With our many research and study-abroad opportunities, you can step outside the structure of the classroom and embark on your own explorations in religious studies.

Research Opportunities

Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led research. Recent students have studied specific Native American traditions, Hindu mythology, spiritual healing, 20th-century women mystics, and modern commentaries on the Book of Job.
Explore research at F&M

Off-Campus Study

We offer many opportunities for you to explore topics that pique your interest  both on campus and in locations around the world. We also offer students the option of taking a religious course at Lancaster Theological Seminary, a college for aspiring theologians and religious practitioners located just across the street from F&M’s campus. Additionally, many students choose to study abroad. Previous students have visited Japan, Israel, India, Nepal, South Africa, Tibet, Morocco, Scotland, and the United Kingdom.
Explore off-campus study at F&M

The intellectual and analytical activities that make up the work of religious studies — including social research, data gathering, collaborating with others, and critical thought — help you develop useful and productive skills, which are highly valuable for any post-college plan.

Graduate School

The religious studies department has an excellent record of preparing students for a broad range of careers and elite graduate programs, including those at Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, and University of California, Santa Barbara. 

Career Paths

Religious studies graduates enjoy a vast array of careers, including in the nonprofit sector, business, medicine, government, and education. They hold positions such as: 

• Attorney
• Clergy
• Copywriter
• Director of Student Success
• Librarian
• Minister
• Pastor
• Pediatrician
• Physician
• Professor
• Psychotherapist
• Rabbi
• Teacher