Religious StudiesReligious StudiesCourse ScheduleCourse DescriptionsMajor RequirementsMinor RequirementsFaculty and StaffLearning GoalsSpecial OpportunitiesSenior ExercisesSelect Theses of the Past Ten YearsPrizes in Religious StudiesAlumni
Senior Exercises
Select Theses of the Past Ten Years
Prizes in Religious Studies
"In fact, if I went back to college today, I think I would probably major in comparative religion because that's how integrated it is in everything that we are working on and deciding and thinking about in life today."
– Secretary of State John Kerry, August 7, 2013
The study of religion is as much a process of transformation as an education. As a student of religion at Trinity, you learn to develop and exercise a respectful and open attitude toward a variety of beliefs and practices among the peoples of the world. You are challenged to learn critical thinking in order to separate the "wheat from the chaff," the substance from the superficial, not only in the discipline itself, but in all of life's endeavors. You study many religious persuasions, Tibetan Buddhists, Swiss Calvinists, French Catholics, Irani Muslims, while maintaining an enlightened balance between understanding and acceptance.
Religion as a major engages you in studies of history, literature, philosophy, science, and economics. It teaches you how to think clearly and analytically. It demands that you learn to articulate your thoughts both orally and in writing. It has its pragmatic side, offering a framework in which to examine moral values in different societies and the ways in which these societies resolve their moral conflicts. Religion offers the student a broader tablet, a chance to develop powers of perception more profoundly than in narrowly defined disciplines.
The study of religion at Trinity is distinguished by the diversity that is the mark of the liberal arts education. There is no limitation on the specific religious traditions or disciplines you may explore. Student – faculty interaction is both close and productive, offering working relationships that enrich and inspire. The diversity of the faculty members and their individual academic specialties reflect the diversity of this venerable, distinguished college and its enduring commitment to the liberal arts. Trinity College offers an intellectual environment in which you are encouraged to explore, to test yourself, and to challenge the spiritual and pragmatic implications of religion in the context of the emerging world order, an environment in which the subject matter comes alive.
Trinity Hillel Trip Offers Students 'Fresh Perspectives' in Israel and Palestinian Territories
A group of 17 Trinity College students participated in a 10-day multicultural experience last summer as they traveled through Israel and the Palestinian territories. The trip, titled "Fresh Perspectives," ran from August 5 to 15, 2019, and was made possible by Trinity College Hillel with the support of a private foundation.
Trinity Professor Awarded Fulbright Grant to Study Magic and Sorcery in West Africa
Trinity College Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Religious Studies Timothy R. Landry has been selected for a Fulbright award to the Africa Regional Research Program to study magico-religious objects used in sorcery in the country of Bénin.
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grants Awarded to Trinity Faculty
Three Trinity College faculty members have been awarded 2018-19 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grants to conduct research internationally.
Ronald Kiener, Chair 300 Summit Street
ronald.kiener@trincoll.edu