About the Program

The Program in Religion at Hunter College is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive program of religious studies in the City University. It offers over eighty courses, including several courses in aspects of each of the major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism) as well as in the traditional religions of Africa, Oceania and the Americas; courses in various methodological approaches to the study of religions; and courses in specific issues (such as faith and disbelief, mysticism, myth and ritual, religious experience, the problem of evil, the meaning of love and sex, and the meaning of death) that are fundamental to all religions.

A minor in religion consists of 12 credits. Required are the two introductory courses plus at least one course in religious traditions and one course from issues in religion. One of the latter two must be a 300 level course, and the issues course must be related to the traditions course.

A major in Religion consists of 24 credits.

A sequence of courses for the major normally includes Approaches to Religion, Nature of Religion, Asian Religions, and Abrahamic Religions, followed by at least one course each in theoretical studies in religion, issues in religion, and religious traditions. Majors are supervised closely by members of the Religion Program staff. Majors and minors must meet with their advisers at least once a semester.

Religion majors looking forward to graduate work in religion should consider, as particularly appropriate minors, those fields which will provide them with a substantive grounding either in a specific methodological discipline or in a language useful for graduate work. Minors in anthropology, history, philosophy or sociology would be fitting. And minors in any language in which primary religious phenomena are expressed (such as Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, Swahili and Yoruba), or in French or German would also be appropriate for those going on to graduate study in religion.

The Program in Religion is an interdisciplinary program under the direction of an inter-departmental coordinating committee consisting of:

Wendy Raver: Religion Program (Director)
Jonathan Shannon: Anthropology Department
Marnia Lazreg: Sociology Department
Wen-Shing Chou: Art & Art History Department

For a complete list of our staff, please see our contact page.