Welcome
to the Department of Religion at FSU! Our department offers
one of the most comprehensive undergraduate majors in the country.
The academic study of religion is by its very nature an interdisciplinary
field, and so the courses we offer examine the diverse array
of religious cultures around the globe from historical, ethical,
philosophical, cultural, and social perspectives.
Students in our classes get to work with scholars at the top
of their fields – our seventeen faculty members are highly
active in the profession, having published extensively in the
top journals in their fields and with the leading university
presses – and who have been recognized by students and
the administration for their excellent teaching. (In addition
to our five faculty who have won teaching awards at FSU, three
of our teaching assistants have also won teaching awards.) We
offer students the opportunity to study the languages relevant
to religious traditions, with regular introductory and advanced
classes in Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and New Testament
Greek, and for those students with Hebrew and/or Arabic knowledge,
advanced classes in Aramaic, Syriac, Coptic, and Qur’anic
Arabic. Our faculty are also available to work with students
on directed independent studies and honors theses: topics in
the past have included religion and environmental ethics, online
religion, Islam and war, and Jewish sexual ethics.
Inside the classroom, we emphasize clear and critical thinking,
and excellence in writing and speaking, whether the class has
to do with religious history, ethical thought, philosophical
analysis, or cultural studies. In addition, the curriculum of
the major leads students to broaden their horizons and think
about the complexity of the diverse and globalized world in
which we work and live, a world in which religion plays an increasingly
central role. These skills have benefited our graduates in the
various fields they have gone on to pursue, ranging across education,
the health professions, journalism, law, business, politics,
and social work.
Students interested in the major in religion should contact
Dr. Matthew Goff at mgoff@mailer.fsu.edu
for
more information. Also, please feel free to browse our website
for information about our faculty, courses, and the requirements
for the major.
Matthew
Goff
Assistant Professor
