UNC diversifies religious studies program

The University is introducing this year an undergraduate minor in Christianity studies, marking a major change in the already diverse religion studies curriculum.

The interdisciplinary minor, which combines several different departments at the University, is unique in higher education, said Christian Smith, a sociology professor and co-director of the minor.

“To my knowledge, this is the first and only program of its kind,” he said. “It’s a unique program, and I think it will help to keep UNC on the cutting edge of things.”

The minor is open to people of all faiths, and its main objective is to educate and explain what kinds of influences Christianity has had in its history, Smith said.

“The minor is about academic learning,” he said. “It’s not about evangelism or anything devotional.”

More information on the new minor can be found at http://www.christianityculture.unc.edu.

The new program will further enhance the University’s educational environment, Smith said.

“(The minor) will help to expand the range of courses that we offer, increase the diversity of programming here and enhance the academic and social atmosphere here by bringing in people from different places,” he said.

Peter Kaufman, religious studies professor and co-director of the minor, said he has been working in religion studies at the University since 1970 and that many former students would have enjoyed having the minor.

“We have a number of undergraduates that are interested because they are committed Christians, or they are in an environment where committed Christians seem to dominate, or they are interested in the history of a religion,” he said.

The program offers students lots of flexibility, Kaufman said, so those who may not be eligible for other minors because of career choices will benefit.

“It kind of helps some of the folks who try to major pre-med, or journalism where the kind of electives is somewhat restricted,” he said. “This is a minor created for people who can’t cram in a double major in a lot of ways.”

Kaufman said the purpose of the minor is not to convert anyone.

“It’s not pre-seminary and it’s not post-Sunday school,” he said.

Along with a recent Jewish studies minor and work on the development of a Middle Eastern curriculum, the minor will aid the development of programs centered around religious studies, Smith said.

In addition to the new minor, Smith said he plans to bring in a number of guest speakers in an attempt to unite Christianity and popular culture in a tangible way.

“We should continue cross-fertilizing and exposing undergraduates to a vast amount of opinions.”

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.