Religion & Philosophy

The academic study of religion and philosophy helps you to develop your critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, your ability to communicate effectively with those of different cultures, and your understanding of the importance of compassion in engaging an increasingly diverse and complex world in a responsible and meaningful way. There is a clear interdisciplinary character to the academic study of religion and philosophy, as it draws upon the various resources and distinctive approaches of, for example, archaeology, the visual and performing arts, economics, history, literature, and the behavioral, natural, political, and social sciences. Thus, as a Religion & Philosophy major at CBU, you are encouraged and equipped to understand and appreciate the worldviews and faith commitments of others, and to examine your own.

As a double-major in Engineering and Religion & Philosophy, I’ve discovered that my Philosophy concentration has provided the basis for understanding how an engineer thinks, or ought to think. It has also given me a truly unique, interdisciplinary perspective that prospective employers find very beneficial for developing a ‘compleat’ engineer. These additional skills have helped me get interviews and to compete in today’s highly competitive job market.

Samantha Noland (’12)

Why Major in Religion & Philosophy at CBU?

Immanuel Kant suggested that, of all the questions human beings ask, three are of paramount importance:
What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope?

Students who choose to major in Religion & Philosophy at Christian Brothers University tend to have a similar interest in and preoccupation with ultimate questions, all the while recognizing the relevance of such questions to all people, in all times, and in all places.

Few endeavors in one’s life are conducive both to enjoyment and utility. Pursuing an academic degree in Religion and Philosophy at CBU is, however, one such endeavor! On the one hand, the student is given the time and resources necessary to consider and respond to some of the most enduring questions of the human race. On the other hand, that same student is given the tools needed to develop her critical writing and thinking skills and dialogical capacities, all of which are easily translatable to myriad areas of employment.

Sarah Vincent (’06)