Religion
You’ll study religion from a variety of perspectives, including biblical studies, religion and society, and the history of world religion, allowing you to acquire a comprehensive understanding of religion.
Department of Religion
Introduction to the Department
The study of religion has been important at Ohio Wesleyan since the university was founded in 1842, when the the training of a skilled and literate ministry was a key mission. Today, the study of religion is no longer confined to those who want to enter the professional ministry. Students planning careers in business, social services, law, medicine, education, and other fields benefit from careful study of religious phenomena and history. Additionally, religion students may find that their personal faith and devotional lives are strengthened by the study of religion and by looking objectively at the faith and devotion of other religious persons.
Department Features
- You can study scriptural languages with religion faculty members. If you qualify, you may study Hebrew, New Testament Greek, and Sanskrit on a tutorial basis.
- Religion majors often study abroad in Europe, Asia, and Latin America to pursue individual projects in religion.
Available Majors
Pre-Theology
You’ll work directly with faculty to plan an interdisciplinary program. You’ll take 13 required courses distributed as follows: five religion courses with at least one in each area, five psychology and sociology/anthropology courses, with one in each department; two courses from the humanities, and outside the religion department; and a capstone.
Available Minors
Religion
Requirements
Five courses in Religion. REL 270 is strongly recommended.
David Eastman
Associate Professor of Religion
Professor Eastman is the director of Mapping the Martyrs, a digital humanities project to map stories of martyrdom and persecution in the early Christian period. It incorporates research done by OWU students.
Blake Michael
Professor of Religion
Professor Michael's special interests are in religious phenomena of Asian cultures.
Susan Gunasti
Assistant Professor of Religion
Professor Gunasti complements the humanities section of International Studies by teaching Introduction to Islam, Women and Gender in Islam, and Modern Islam and Its Political Ideas
Emmanuel Twesigye
Professor of Religion
Professor Twesigye’s teaching specialty is church history, theology, and Christian ethics.
Global Travel
Faculty take their classes to institutions relevant to what they are teaching to students. Faculty have taken students to the Holocaust Memorial in Detroit, Buddhist meditation centers, and the Hindu Hare Krishna temple in West Virginia.
Rare Liturgical Books
Beeghly Library has many uncommon and valuable 19th-and early 20th-century works on religion. In addition, students have access to the library of the nearby Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
Augustine's Church
David Eastman, Assistant Professor of Religion, sits in the bishop’s seat in Augustine’s church during a trip with an international team of scholars to visit Roman and early Christian sites in Algeria. Eastman recently earned a ‘Best Article’ award for research tied to the trip.
Merrick Lecture
The Merrick Lecture series brings a visiting renowned scholar in religion or philosophy visits and has a discussion with students each year.
Department Contact Info
Location
Phillips Hall 117
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015