CofC Department of Religious Studies

The Department of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston The department offers a broad range of courses in religious traditions from around the world.

The Department of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston offers both a major and minor degree in religious studies. With eight full-time faculty members, the department supports a wide-ranging, diverse curriculum and fosters close interaction between students and faculty. Students may choose to specialize in individual religions or subject areas through special topics courses and tutorials

. The flexibility of the curriculum gives students the opportunity to explore diverse cultures and religions, while providing them with important tools to understand and interpret these worldviews critically. The religious studies department introduces students to the academic study of religion, which engages in the descriptive and cross-cultural analysis of religious beliefs, practices and institutions, both past and present. The teaching orientation is comparative and non-sectarian in that it does not promote any specific religious tradition to the exclusion of others. It encourages students to complete courses in the areas of western traditions (such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), eastern traditions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions) and American religions (such as Native American, African American, and many New Religious Movements). Students become more deeply aware of their own cultural traditions by studying those of others, and will approach other religions with greater empathy and sensitivity to their respective complexity. Religious studies at the College of Charleston is both a comparative and interdisciplinary enterprise. It serves as a bridge between various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, particularly those of history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy and literature, as well as various language programs. Courses explore various religions through a variety of dimensions and themes – ritual, myth, symbol, mystical experience, cognitive patterns, gender, ethnicity, identity – and they also consider the role played by political, economic and social factors on the development of religions in their global context. Religious studies thus provides a coherent disciplinary context where students can engage in a holistic and sustained examination of the history, diversity and ingenuity of human belief and behavior, one of the hallmarks of a liberal arts and sciences education.

Operating as usual

Photos from School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston's post

03/13/2024

03/11/2024

Welcome back to classes for the final lap of the semester!

03/10/2024

Hot off the presses! Get yours so you are ready for upcoming advising meetings and registration. Summer is open NOW!

03/10/2024

29.5 hours. More time to make a difference in the learning experiences of our students. Field trips, funding for conferences and study abroad, and awards for outstanding research are possible because of the generous gifts of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Religious Studies. Give Day starts at 4:30 pm on 3/13.

03/10/2024

The third film of this semester is guaranteed to be fire 🔥 🔥 🔥. Dr. Fisher will host Mississippi Burning on Wednesday, 3/13/24 at 700 pm in ECTR 116. He will lead what's sure to be a spirited discussion about southern culture, race, religion, and legal justice. Bring a friend. Snacks provided.

College of Charleston to Host Religious Studies Conference

02/29/2024

Read all about it!!! RELS is hosting the AAR-Southeast Conference this weekend at CofC. Drs. Lowe and Keegan, the current president and vice president of AAR-SE, have been working hard to make the conference a success. The entire RELS department is excited to display the beauty of CofC's campus and Charleston, highlight the religious department's academic excellence and allow several religious studies students to present research papers. And a familiar face will be the keynote speaker on Saturday. It will be great to see Dr. Matthew Cressler on campus again.

College of Charleston to Host Religious Studies Conference The College of Charleston Department of Religious Studies will host the 2024 American Academy of Religion-Southeast annual conference.

02/22/2024

Department of History - College of Charleston in the 4th Annual Black History Month Lecture with Dr. Alaina E. Roberts exploring the intersection of Black and Native American life from the Civil War to the modern day.

Co-sponsored by Aast Cofc, Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program, College of Charleston, The Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston, Center for Public Choice & Market Process , College of Charleston Department of Political Science, College of Charleston- Office of Institutional Diversity, CofC Women's and Gender Studies, and CofC Department of Religious Studies

02/14/2024

The second film in this semester's series is tomorrow at 7 pm in ECTR 116. Join Dr. Bjerken for "The Life of Pi", popcorn and conversation. Bring a friend. All are welcome.

01/29/2024

The president and vice president of the American Academy of Religion-Southeast (AAR-SE) region, Drs. Lenny Lowe, Brennan Keegan, and the entire RELS department are excited to host the AAR-SE annual conference here at the College on March 1-4, 2024. Scholars of religion from peer institutions all across the Southeast will converge on Charleston and our campus for a weekend of dynamic programming featuring paper panels, films, and invited speakers centered around the theme "Tensions." In collaboration with local institutions such as the International African American Museum, this symposium will showcase the richness and complexity of religion in the Low Country and provide a platform for intellectual exchange. The conference will also highlight our distinguished department's academic vibrancy and productivity. More information can be found at the website www.relse.org

12/05/2023

Today at 1:30 in the Religious Studies Lounge at 4 Glebe Street.

12/04/2023

Come hang with us on Reading Day, 12/5, and chill with the "God Squad" for refreshments, holiday cheer, relaxation, and fellowship before finals begin. this is a secular event open to all majors, minors, and everybody else. Hope to see you at 130 pm at 4 Glebe. School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston

11/28/2023

Tomorrow (11/29), the final film of the semester for the RELS Reels series will be shown at 7 pm in ECTR 116. The film is Life of Brian, and Dr. Huddlestun will guide the discussion afterward. As always, we are providing snacks, and all are welcome. Life of Brian is a Monty Python movie, so it should be a real hoot.

11/28/2023

On Thursday (11/30), the Religious Studies Club will welcome guest speaker, Stan Ziobro, to discuss the intersection of Buddhism and traditional Shinto in historical and contemporary Japan. Join them at 2 pm in Stern 201.

11/20/2023

New course available for spring 23. RELS 120.01, Religion Art and Culture. Discover what is "sacred" in the American South. Dr. Bjerken looks at Voodoo and jazz religion in New Orleans and Gullah Geechie culture and music right here in Charleston. Join Dr. Bjerken on Monday/Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Express II.

11/07/2023

11/16/23 @ 4 pm in RSS 235

In the 1950s and 1960s, Japan faced concerns about youth behavior due to post-war issues like drug and po*******hy addiction and criminality. Some suggested the solution was “more religion” and thus introduced Buddhist teachings in public schools. Dr. Jolyon Thomas (Uni. of Pennsylvania) will explain how this effort ultimately proved unsuccessful but also how this “moral panic” spurred some of the most doctrinally innovative Buddhist thinking of the twentieth century. This lecture is opened to all. The Department Religious Studies and Asian Studies are sponsoring this fascinating talk.

09/28/2023

Katherine, and current RELS major is interning with Charleston Area Justice Ministry . They are having an interest on 10/2/23 at 6:30 pm for anyone to voice issues that could be improved by local government. Come with an open mind and willingness to to solve problems.

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Our Story

he Department of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston offers both a major and minor degree in religious studies. With eight full-time faculty members, the department supports a wide-ranging, diverse curriculum and fosters close interaction between students and faculty. Students may choose to specialize in individual religions or subject areas through special topics courses and tutorials. The flexibility of the curriculum gives students the opportunity to explore diverse cultures and religions, while providing them with important tools to understand and interpret these worldviews critically.

The religious studies department introduces students to the academic study of religion, which engages in the descriptive and cross-cultural analysis of religious beliefs, practices and institutions, both past and present. The teaching orientation is comparative and non-sectarian in that it does not promote any specific religious tradition to the exclusion of others. The department offers a broad range of courses in religious traditions from around the world. It encourages students to complete courses in the areas of western traditions (such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), eastern traditions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions) and American religions (such as Native American, African American, and many New Religious Movements). Students become more deeply aware of their own cultural traditions by studying those of others, and will approach other religions with greater empathy and sensitivity to their respective complexity.

Religious studies at the College of Charleston is both a comparative and interdisciplinary enterprise. It serves as a bridge between various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, particularly those of history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy and literature, as well as various language programs. Courses explore various religions through a variety of dimensions and themes – ritual, myth, symbol, mystical experience, cognitive patterns, gender, ethnicity, identity – and they also consider the role played by political, economic and social factors on the development of religions in their global context. Religious studies thus provides a coherent disciplinary context where students can engage in a holistic and sustained examination of the history, diversity and ingenuity of human belief and behavior, one of the hallmarks of a liberal arts and sciences education.