Religion
253.535.8106
www.plu.edu/religion
reli@plu.edu
Faculty: Torvend, Chair; Breazeale (sabbatical), Crawford, Finitsis, Finstuen, Frenz, Hickey-Tiernan, Ihssen, Killen, Komjathy, Oakman, O’Brien, Peterson, Trelstad, Zbaraschuk
Click here to view Religion (RELI) courses
Religion is an attempt to understand the meaning of human existence. Different religious and cultural communities express that meaning in many ways. Located within an ELCA-related university, the Department of Religion stands within a Lutheran Christian and global context.
In a university setting this means the serious academic study of the Bible, of the history of the Christian tradition, of Christian theology, and of world religious traditions. Critical study calls for open and authentic dialogue with other religious traditions and seeks to understand a common humanity as each tradition adds its unique contribution. It calls for a critical yet constructive interchange with contemporary society. Finally, it calls for a sharing of insights with other disciplines in the university as each sheds light on the human condition.
To these ends the Department of Religion offers a wide range of courses and opportunities. Furthermore it calls students, majors and non-majors alike, to consider questions of meaning, purpose, and value in a society that all too often neglects these questions.
General University Requirements
Eight semester hours are required for students entering as first-year students or sophomores. Four lower-division hours should be taken before the end of the sophomore year.
Transfer students entering as juniors or seniors are required to take four semester hours from religion Lines 1 or 2 only, unless presenting eight transfer hours of religion from other regionally accredited colleges or universities. Courses offered through correspondence, on-line, and independent studies are not accepted to meet the core requirement in Religion.
The University Distributive Core Requirement in Religion
Eight semester hours
Students are required to take one course in either Line 1, 2, or 3. After the first course is completed students are required to take a different course in a different line. No more than four semester hours are permitted in any one line under the requirement:
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Line 1: Biblical Studies (R1)
- RELI 211, 212, 330, 331, 332
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Line 2: Christian Thought, History, and Experience (R2)
- RELI 121, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 361, 362, 364, 365, 367, 368
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Line 3: Integrative and Comparative Religious Studies (R3)
- RELI 131, 132, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 239, 390, 391, 392, 393
Perspectives on Diversity Requirement
The following Religion courses also fulfill the University Perspectives on Diversity Requirement.
- Cross-Cultural: RELI 131, 132, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 247, 341, 344, 347, and 392
- Alternative Perspectives: RELI 236, 257, 351, 354, 357, 368 and 393
Bachelor of Arts Major
32 semester hours
- Requirements:
- Four semester hours in Biblical Studies (R1)
- Four semester hours in Christian Thought, History and Experience (R2)
- Four semester hours in Integrative and Comparative Religious Studies (R3)
- Twelve semester hours in upper-division courses (300 or higher)
- Four semester hours in RELI 301: Research in Religion
- Four semester hours in RELI 499: Capstone
- Transfer majors will normally take 20 semester hours in residence.
- Majors should plan their program early in consultation with departmental faculty. Closely related courses taught in other departments may be considered to apply toward the religion major in consultation with the chair of the department.
- The B.A. in Religion requires completion of the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.
- A minimum grade of C- in all courses in the major or minor department and a cumulative 2.00 GPA in those courses is required.
Minor - Teacher Education Option
24 semester hours, at least four hours in each of the three lines. Transfer minors under this option normally take 16 semester hours in residence.
Intended primarily for parochial school teachers enrolled in the Department of Instructional Development and Leadership.
Minor
16 semester hours with no more than eight in one of the lines listed above.
Transfer minors under this option must take at least eight semester hours in residence.