Mission Statement

The study of religion is a way of organizing academic inquiry into how human beings and human cultures express and experience their religious needs, beliefs, and values. It involves the study of both specific religious traditions and the general nature of religion as they intersect with the full range of human difference. Using cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches, religious studies investigates and interprets systems of religious belief, the history of religious traditions, the function of religion in society, and forms of religious expression such as ritual, symbols, sacred narrative, scripture, practices, theological and philosophical reflection. Students in religious studies at Wake Forest University, whether adherents of a religion or of no religion, gain tools to understand, compare, and engage the phenomena and meaning of religions and their role in human life and society. To this end students will learn academic skills in the study of religion, knowledge of specific religions, and methodological variety in the study of religions. Such learning fosters critical empathy and provides students essential knowledge and skills for thriving in the 21st century.