Page 172 of College of the Holy Cross Catalog by College of the Holy Cross

170/ Religious Studies Alan J. Avery-Peck, Ph.D., John E. Brooks, S.J., S.T.D., Todd T. Lewis, Ph.D., Professor Frederick J. Murphy, Ph.D., William E. Reiser, S.J., Ph.D., Professor Mary E. Hobgood, Ph.D., Associate Professor Alice L. Laffey, S.S.D., Associate Professor James B. Nickoloff, Ph.D., Joanne M. Pierce, Ph.D., Mathew N. Schmalz, Ph.D., Associate Professor Bernadette J. Brooten, Ph.D., Kraft-Hiatt Professor of Christian Studies at Brandeis University, Adjunct Professor Rosemary P. Carbine, Ph.D., William A. Clark, S.J., S.T.D., Ibrahim Kalin, Ph.D., Caroline E. Johnson Hodge, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor William M. Shea, Ph.D., Visiting Professor Gary P. DeAngelis, Ph.D., Lecturer and Associate Director, Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies Mary M. Doyle Roche, Cand. Ph.D., The Department of Religious Studies has a two-fold function: serving the general student body in a liberal arts college, and preparing students who wish to concentrate in the area of religious studies for their future work. Believing that religion is a fundamental dimension of the human experience that deserves to be studied for that reason alone and recognizing that students are in the process of coming to terms with their own traditions and personal identities, the department has designed courses that enable students to achieve both of these purposes. Since Holy Cross is a Jesuit college and the majority of its students come from the Roman Catholic tradition, the department offers courses that provide them with an opportunity to know and understand their Catholic tradition and situate that tradition in the larger context of other religious traditions and in the broader cultural context in which we live. Such courses are also important for students from other traditions, who similarly must come to terms with the fact of pluralism, both religious and cultural. Departmental courses are designed to help all students achieve this goal. Because the field of religious studies is multidimensional, our program for majors acquaints students with the diverse aspects of the phenomenon of religion-world religions, bible, theology, ethics-as well as enables them to pursue in-depth the particular area of their own interest. A major is required to take a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 courses in the department, including one course in each of the following five areas: World Religions; Old Testament; New Testament; Theology; Ethics; and two intensive courses (seminars or tutorials) in the studentfs area of concentration. For those students who intend to pursue graduate studies, the department strongly advises competence in the classical and modern languages, as well as the social sciences and philosophy, and encourages an independent research project in the fourth year. Tutorial reading programs and individual research projects are available to the qualified student by arrangement with the appropriate department faculty and the Chair. Religious Studies

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