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Why Take a Minor in Religious Studies?

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Oakland University offers exploratory or minors in Judaic, Christian or Islamic studies.  Why should you consider a minor in any one of these areas?  Religious thinking has greatly affected cultures and social formation around the globe.  An understanding of religious thought and movements allows us to peer deeply into and more competently evaluate a society, major movements in history and complex moral and ethical problems.  By enrolling in one of these minors you will be exposed to the rich cultural treasures that these faiths have traditionally offered and still offer today.  You will learn about essential concepts that continue to drive religious expression and motivate their followers. You will learn to articulate essential human questions that affect us all.

Each of these minors will complement almost any other academic or vocational degree in which you are already enrolled.  They will provide for you a rich basis in the humanities.  Understanding religious thinking complements the ideas of science, the ethics of business, the task of holistic healing in medicine, the insights into psychology; above all, it makes you a better informed and well-rounded student of life.  No matter what you are studying, you will gain greatly by enrolling in a minor in any of these religious traditions.  Essential life questions, the meaning of existence, the awe of the natural order and the motivators of human culture are addressed in the courses offered.  Your minor will complement and add meaning to your major: your studies prepare you for life’s great adventures.  This acquired knowledge of faiths, beliefs and practices equip you to look at things from a wider perspective while you work on your major academic specialty, enabling you to enter into the ongoing discussion about religious topics that inform the fundamental political, historical, ethical and cultural drivers of society.