About the Program

• The curriculum introduces students to major fields of study including Biblical studies, ethics, theology, world religions, religious history, Native American religions, and African American religions. Special topics courses have included The Holocaust, Cults Controversies, Understanding Islam, and Science and Religion.
• A religious studies minor is an excellent complement to other majors. For example, it can help psychology majors interested in counseling, English majors seeking to enrich their cultural understanding of literature, and political science majors who want to understand how religious beliefs affect world politics.
• Our courses serve not only religious studies majors but also students from other fields of study who wish to explore different religious beliefs and/or examine their own. In addition, some students take the classes as electives simply because they find the subject matter thought-provoking. This variety of backgrounds and interests makes for an engaging classroom mix.
• Our approach encourages an open-minded look at various religious perspectives without emphasizing one single viewpoint.
• The department makes use of team-teaching techniques, in which faculty members from biology, political science, or philosophy facilitate exploration of different perspectives and the interactions between religion and other disciplines.
• The program has strong community ties: Ten percent of all United Methodist ministers in Iowa are Morningside graduates, and ministers at three of the seven Sioux City United Methodist churches are Morningside alumni. Morningside graduates provide religious leadership in many other denominations as well.