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Sacred Heart University's Master of Arts in Religious Studies (MARS) program invites you to investigate a broad range of religious expressions representative of the human attempt to come to terms with questions of ultimate significance. Through this reflection it is hoped that the student will be able to engage in a critical dialogue with his/her own religious tradition and self-understanding.
The department offers a variety of courses in 5 main areas:
Biblical Studies
Modern Religious Thought
Religion and Society
Ethics
The History of Religions
Throughout the history of culture, religion has played an enormous role in shaping and determining human actions, perceptions and institutions. Consequently, the failure to explore the religious dimension of human experience renders that experience largely incomprehensible. None of the disciplines traditionally classified under the rubric of the "Humanities" can afford to ignore the basic religious questions, and Religious Studies itself occupies a central position among these disciplines.
Humanistic in its orientation, the study of religion relies partially on the social sciences for its methodological apparatus. The student of religion must learn concepts from anthropology, sociology and psychology as well as philosophy, history and literary criticism. Specific courses in the Religious Studies program examine the various symbols and myths, rituals and creeds, events and institutions that illuminate the religious imagination and understanding. In addition, the student is encouraged to investigate the cultural interaction between religion and both the natural sciences and the arts. Methodologically and topically diverse, the Master of Arts in Religious Studies program is unified by its commitment to the task of exploring the basic religious beliefs and insights that render human life and experience meaningful.
Please contact Ann Kahraman for more information about the Religious Studies program at 203-365-4735 or kahramana@sacredheart.edu. "I am available Thursday nights until 7:30pm, call or email to set up an appointment!" -Ann