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• Close contact with top-notch faculty —
Butler’s Religion program offers small
classes and boasts an unparalleled faculty
to student ratio. Students therefore get to
work closely (whether in class, through
independent studies, or as research assistants)
with professors who are active, widelyrecognized
scholars.
• Empathetic approach — Whereas Religion
programs in religiously-affiliated colleges
and universities sometimes teach religion
from a specific doctrinal perspective,
Butler’s Religion major is designed to
expose students more broadly to the world’s
major religious traditions. This approach
challenges students to hone their skills of
critical thinking, develop the ability to
appreciate multiple religious perspectives,
and provides an excellent preparation for
many professions, including for those who
intend to enter seminary or graduate work
in religious ministry.
• An education both sound and savvy —
The Religion program at Butler University
grounds its students in the classically broad
tradition of the Liberal Arts, while at the
same time providing them with the skills
that are most crucial in the digital age.
Religion Program Student Learning
Outcomes
Students majoring in Religion are expected
to gain a basic core of factual knowledge about
the world’s major religious traditions, acquire
skills in critical thinking and textual analysis,
develop the ability to identify and deploy
credible sources of information (digital, print
or otherwise), cultivate understanding of and
empathy for people of other faiths (in Indianapolis
and beyond), and nurture a collaborative
and civil disposition, that is, to work critically,
openly, and with humility in the context of
academic discussion and dispute.
Degrees
• Major in Religion
• Minor in Religion
• Combined Major in Philosophy and
Religion (see “Combined Majors”)
Requirements for Major
Majors must fulfill each of the following six
requirements.
(Courses may fulfill more than one distribution
190 Butler University
requirement if they appear in more than one
category below.)
1. Jewish and Christian Traditions (6 credit
hours required from the list below):
• RL307, The Historical Jesus
• RL308, Paul and the Early Church
• RL346, Heresy
• RL347, History of Christianity
• RL350, Topics in Judaism
• RL366, Topics in Jewish and Christian
Traditions (e.g., Theology from the
Margins)
• RL370, Modern Religious Thought
• RL372, Mysticism
• RL374, Faith & Doubt
• Any approved 3-credit internship, field
study, or study abroad opportunity
2. Islam and the Asian Faiths (6 credit hours
required from the list below):
• RL353, Buddhism: Past and Present
• RL354, Islam: Religion, Culture, Society
• RL358, Hinduism: Past and Present
• RL363, Religion, Politics and Conflict
in South Asia
• RL367, Topics in Islam/Asian Faiths
• RL377, Religion, Gender and the
Goddess in Asia
• Any approved 3-credit internship, field
study, or study abroad opportunity
3. Texts and Textual Interpretation (3 credit
hours required from the list below):
• RL202, The Bible
• RL213, Biblical Hebrew*
• RL304, Psalms
• RL308, Paul and the Early Church
• RL309, The Gospel of John
• RL375, Topics in Texts/Textual
Interpretations
4. RL391, 392, Seminar on Religion and
World Civilization (3 total credit hours)
5. RL405, Internship (3 credit hours)
6. RL381W, Theory and Method (3 credit
hours)
Plus 33 total hours in Religion, including (not
in addition to) credits for courses fulfilling
distributional requirements
In addition to the course requirements above,
majors will complete the following two requirements:
1. Oral Expression Development — Majors
will give an oral presentation in their
Junior or Senior year (ask departmental
faculty for details).