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Department of Religious Studies

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What is religious studies?

Religion asks questions that touch every aspect of human life. The faculty and students in IU’s Department of Religious Studies explore these questions, and proposed answers, across cultures, through time, and around the world, using a mix of historical, textual, philosophical, and anthropological approaches.

Explore Religious Studies

An education to prepare you for life

Our Religious Studies students are equipped to understand our diverse and rapidly changing world while learning much about themselves. This comparative field of study imbues students with the ability to assess diverse actions, traditions, and values. The knowledge and habits of mind learned in Religious Studies remain relevant forever, as key to a life of conscious choice and thoughtful, multi-cultural engagement.

View our undergraduate programs
Learn about our graduate degrees

Understand the world differently

Religious Studies courses help you examine your core values, both objectively and in terms of personal experience. In our classes, you will explore how people make sense of the world and enhance your global cultural knowledge as you engage in a wide variety of topics from barbecue to baseball, magic to mindfulness, and sexuality to the sacred.

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Lowe Reviews “Sinners”

Amber Lowe reviews Sinners, the latest film from acclaimed director Ryan Coogler, in a powerful new piece for Reading Religion. 

Read the review

Congratulations to our Graduates!

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 graduates! Read all the latest news happening at IU Religious Studies. 

 

Read all the latest news

Hillman Publishes about Golem Myth

Brian Hillman (IU Ph.D. 2021) published a new piece titled “New Golems for the New Antisemitism” for Sightings.

Read the piece

Experimental Pedagogy by TRiP Grad Lab

Teaching Religion in Public (TRiP) wrapped up its year with a Teaching Tables Showcase. Organized by TRiP postdoc, Dr. Hannah Garvey, the event showcased teaching experiments designed by the TRiP Grad Lab cohort. 

Read more about their activities

Imhoff Co-Authors Book on Gender in Jewish Studies

Sarah Imhoff co-authored a new book, The Woman Question in Jewish Studies, which examines the place of women and nonbinary people in Jewish studies, arguing that, for both intellectual and ethical reasons, the culture of the field must change.

Read more about the book

Cheers to Prof. Sullivan

We celebrated the retirement of Winnifred Fallers Sullivan who is retiring from the department at the end of this spring 2025 term. She will continue her work in the field as a Visiting Scholar at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago for the 2025-26 academic year.

About Prof. Winni Sullivan

A community of support

Our department is home to an incredible community of teachers and students ready to support your intellectual and personal pursuits. We are innovative and open-minded researchers who welcome unconventional ideas to help us better understand the role religion plays in culture and society.

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Meet our faculty

Being Human

The study of religion broadens and deepens your understanding of the diverse richness and mystery that attends being human. Our faculty is engaged in research through the LUCE-funded Being Human project to learn more about what it means to be human in our rapidly changing world.

Learn about the Being Human project

News

Lowe Writes Reading Religion's First Film Review

Teaching Tables Showcase

Hillman Publishes about Golem Myth

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Events

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The College of Arts & Sciences

  • About
    • Faculty
    • Affiliate Faculty
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • About Bloomington
    • Diversity + Inclusion
  • Undergraduate
    • Religious Studies B.A.
    • Minor
    • Courses
    • Advising
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Scholarships & Awards
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
      • Career Advising
      • Marketable Skills
  • Graduate
    • Religious Studies M.A.
    • Religious Studies Ph.D.
    • Ph.D. Minor
    • Fields of Study
    • Courses
    • Financial Support
    • Awards & Essays
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
    • Job Placement
    • How to Apply
      • FAQs
  • Research
    • Research Areas
    • Center for Religion and the Human
    • Resources
    • Selected Publications
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Get Involved
    • Alumni Spotlights
    • Alumni Newsletters
  • News & Events
    • Departmental News
      • News Archive
    • Event Calendar
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
      • Religious Studies B.A.
      • Minor
    • Graduate
    • Courses