Religion
“Religion is the most complex and powerful force in the human mind and in all probability an ineradicable part of human nature.” Professor of Biology, E. O. Wilson, Harvard University
Religion is very old. The academic study of religion is not. Begun in the past century, it endeavors to understand how and why people of all times and places have sought to relate themselves to a sacred or spiritual dimension in life. The study of religion is interdisciplinary. It teams up with history, anthropology, biology, psychology, sociology, art and philosophy to explore this fascinating domain of human behavior. The study of religion is comparative -- “who knows but one religion knows none.” Our faculty investigates religions in their global diversity including the rich Catholic tradition that founded and continues to shape the University.
We invite you to explore this site to answer the following questions and find out more about the religion program:
Why major in religion?
What can you do with a religion major?
What does a religion major study?
Curriculum and course descriptions (includes link to catalog)
Faculty
Contact Us
Why major in religion?
Because you suspect that it will be the most intellectually compelling and personally enriching way to enjoy the liberal arts education you pursue at Dominican.
What can you do with a religion major?
Religion majors can pursue advanced degrees in religion or theology and from there go into teaching (at university, junior college, or high school levels) or ministry. But religion majors also go to graduate school in counseling psychology, or to business school or law school, or directly into careers in educational administration, international business, journalism, government, or social service. Some use their knowledge of religions in their careers as visual or recording artists or creative writers.
A religion major prepares you for any career that requires strong skills in written and oral communication, critical analysis, and research, and a refined sensitivity to human cultures and aspirations. In giving you a solid ability to understand and reflectively compare values and practices across cultural boundaries, the major equips you for the global multicultural future that is already here.
What does a religion major study?
The world’s religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American ways, Goddess religions (to name but a few) -- their historical origin and development, their literature and art, their understanding of reality, their vision of the purpose of human life, their key spiritual practices.
Ecology and religion: Is the Earth sacred? Should religions focus more spiritual attention on the Earth than on “Heaven”? What is the connection between religion and ecological awareness among the world’s cultures? Can religions become more pro-ecological?
Psychology of religion: are all mystical experiences essentially the same? Does the fact that people have experiences of God mean that God exists? Why do some psychologists see religion as an illness while others see it as an important factor in human health and fulfillment?
Sociology of religion -- how do religious ideas and practices affect, and how are they affected by, a society’s economic and political conditions? Does religion contribute to social betterment? Do religions unite people or divide them? Is a religionless society possible?
Cross-cultural constants in religion like mysticism, mythology, ritual, and symbol. What are these things? How do they function? Are they essential aspects of human behavior and self-understanding?
Philosophy of religion: Is “God” more than an idea in the human mind? What exactly do we mean when we ask “Does God exist”? Can the degree of evil in the world be reconciled with the existence of a good God? Is there a way in which the many different religions of the world may be said to share a common vision?
Gender and religion: Are the world’s religions blighted by male-dominance? Can women’s social progress change religions for the better and can progress in religion make society a healthier place for women? How are women finding meaning in traditional religions or creating more women-affirming spiritual paths that include consideration of the female aspect of divinity, women's spiritual leadership, the body and sexuality?
Curriculum and Course Desriptions
Requirements for the Religion Minor (total: 18 units)
Any 6 Religion courses (3 units each), 5 of them taken at an upper-division level.
Requirements for the Religion Major (total: 41 units)
3 courses in Scripture (9 units)
3 courses in Theology (9 units)
4 courses in the Global Study of Religion (12 units)
2 elective courses (6 units)
Senior thesis (5 units)
Examples of Courses
Scripture Courses
• Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke
• Gospels and Epistles of John
• Old Testament Survey
• Letters of Paul
• The Book of Revelation
• New Testament SurveyTheology Courses
• Catholic Social Teaching
• Contemporary Views of Christ
• Passion for Justice: Theologies of
Liberation
• Fundamentalism in the Modern World
• Theology of Women
• Christianity Through Art
• Christianity on FilmGlobal courses
• Philosophies and Religions of Asia
• Mysticism
• The World’s Religions
• Religion and Social Theory
• Women, Religion and Sexuality
• Myth, Symbol and Ritual
• Spirit of the Earth (Ecology and Religion)
Click here for link to academic catalog
Faculty
Patricia Codron, Instructor
BA, University of California, Berkeley; MA, PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Fr. Robert Haberman, Assistant Professor
BA, Loras College; MDiv, St. Mary's Seminary and University; DMin, San Francisco Theological Seminary
Kerri Kor, Instructor
BA, MA Dominican University of California
Carla Kovack, O.P., Instructor
BA, Dominican College; MA Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Gay Lynch, Instructor
BA, University of California, Berkeley; MTS, Harvard University; PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Philip Novak, Professor, Program Chair
BA, University of Notre Dame; MA, PhD, Syracuse University
Marguerite Rigoglioso, Instructor
AB, Vassar; MA, PhD California Institute of Integral Studies
Henry Shreibman, InstructorBA, Dickinson College; MA, M.Phil, Columbia University; Rabbi, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; PhD, Columbia University
Scott Sinclair, Adjunct Professor
BA., MA Johns Hopkins University; MDiv Church Divinity School of the Pacific; Ph. Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Ellen Six, Adjunct Associate Professor
BA, MS Loyola University; DMin Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley
Harlan Stelmach, Professor
BA Whittier College; MTS Harvard University; PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
John Suslov, Instructor
BA, Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary; MA, Dominican University of California
Cynthia Taylor, Instructor
BA, MA San Francisco State University; PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Robert Traer, Adjunct Associate Professor; PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; JD , School of Law of the University of California at Davis; DMin, Divinity School of the University of Chicago
Contact Us
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Phil Novak, Ph.D. Phone: (415) 485-3279 |
