Philosophy and Religious Studies

Administration
Chad Bauman, PhD, Department Chair

Professors
Chad Bauman, PhD; Stuart Glennan, PhD; James F. McGrath, PhD

Assistant Professors
Lavender McKittrick-Sweitzer, PhD; Corey Reed, PhD, Syed Zaidi, PhD

Instructors and Lecturers
Brent Hege, PhD; Kyle Furlane; Deborah Saxon, PhD

Department Website
www.butler.edu/arts-sciences/philosophy-religion/

Why Study Philosophy?

Philosophy can help you hone some very practical skills. As a philosopher, you learn to distinguish between sound reasoning and empty rhetoric. Philosophy majors learn how to communicate clearly both in speech and in writing. Philosophy helps you to think carefully about ethical decisions. Collectively, these are skills that will help you in future graduate and professional education. They will also help you to live your life well, and what could be a more practical skill than
that?

Philosophy majors regularly outscore other majors on standardized tests such as the LSAT and MCAT, because they do equally well on both the verbal and analytic/quantitative sections. Philosophy is the only liberal arts major that specifically teaches both verbal and logic skills. In addition, the most basic assumptions in law, the sciences, and other disciplines are studied not in those disciplines but in the philosophy of law, philosophy of science, etc.

Why Study Philosophy at Butler?

Our philosophy classes are fairly small, which further encourages students to participate in class discussion and allows the faculty to devote considerable attention to each of our students. The enrollment limit in our introductory classes is generally 25, and the number of students enrolled in our upper-level classes is between 10 and 20. Professors teach all courses; there are no teaching assistants at Butler. Many students engage in independent study and write honors theses under the supervision of professors. Additional learning opportunities include the Philosophy Club, which meets regularly for discussion, film viewing, speakers, and social activities. The reasoning skills of our majors are valued by graduate and professional schools as well as by employers. For example, a growing number of our majors have been accepted into reputable medical schools and prestigious law schools.

Philosophy Student Learning Outcomes

Students majoring in philosophy at Butler University will learn about a wide range of philosophical ideas and outlooks and will become acquainted with some of the most influential thinkers in philosophy. Besides exploring fundamental questions pertaining to knowledge and reality, students will be able to discern and respond to philosophical issues that arise in areas as diverse as religion, science, politics, the arts, and the law. While critical thinking is encouraged and emphasized throughout the liberal arts, it is especially at home in philosophy; our majors are able to read and write clearly, to critically evaluate evidence and arguments, and to determine the quality of their sources of information.

Philosophical training helps deepen our students’ reflection on issues in the here and now. Our professors encourage engagement in the community, including internships or research projects in which students’ work can inform and be informed by their philosophical study.

More generally, philosophy majors’ ability to examine and question their own and others’ values and convictions puts them in a position to make wise choices that will affect the quality and course of their lives and those of the people with whom they interact.

Why Study Religion?

For some, the academic study of religion is a way of exploring their own commitment to a particular religious tradition. For others, it is a way of trying to learn about and understand the perspectives, values, and traditions of others, or the social and political dynamics that influence and are influenced by religion. Whatever the student’s motivation, the religious study major offers an opportunity to engage in a critical and sympathetic study of various religious traditions; to study religious literatures, practices, and beliefs; to explore the intersection of religion and politics, and to investigate general questions regarding the nature of religion and the scholarly study thereof. A major in religious studies is a liberal arts major, and as such, exposes students to a wide spectrum of subjects and skills to produce broadly educated, sophisticated, and flexible leaders. What can one do with a religious studies major? Just about anything. Recent graduates of the program have gone on to study religion, law, public policy, medicine, and creative writing at the graduate level. Others have entered the nonprofit sector or religious ministries. Still others have found employment in a range of professions, like teaching, acting, and politics.

Why Study Religion at Butler?

Vocational discernment: Butler’s religious studies program offers a close mentoring process designed-through careful advising, experiential learning, and internship opportunities, and in collaboration with Butler’s Center for Faith and Vocation-to connect theory and practice and help students discern their vocational direction, integrating who they are (in terms of the values they hold most dear) and what they want to do.
A big “backyard”: Within a few minutes of the campus are numerous churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and meditation centers representing all of the world’s largest religious traditions. Butler’s urban location therefore allows students to explore both traditional and emerging American religious phenomena and the ways these are increasingly intertwined with and inseparable from global religious trends. Butler religious studies majors also often study abroad, sometimes with support from departmental awards.
Close contact with top-notch faculty: Butler’s religion program offers small classes and boasts an unparalleled faculty-to-student ratio. Students therefore get to work closely (whether in class, through independent studies, or as research assistants) with professors who are active and widely recognized scholars.
Empathetic approach: Whereas religion programs in religiously affiliated colleges and universities sometimes teach religion from a specific doctrinal perspective, Butler’s religion major is designed to expose students more broadly to the world’s major religious traditions. This approach challenges students to hone their skills of critical thinking, develops the ability to appreciate multiple religious perspectives, and provides an excellent preparation for many professions.
An education both sound and savvy: The religion program at Butler University grounds its students in the classically broad tradition of the liberal arts, while at the same time providing them with the skills that are most crucial in the digital age.

Religion Student Learning Outcomes

Students majoring in religion are expected to gain a basic core of factual knowledge about the world’s major religious traditions, acquire skills in critical thinking and textual analysis, develop the ability to identify and deploy credible sources of information (digital, print, or otherwise), cultivate understanding of and empathy for people of other faiths (in Indianapolis and beyond), understand the relationship of religion and politics, and nurture a collaborative and civil disposition, that is, to work critically, openly, and with humility in the context of academic discussion and dispute.

Degree Programs

Major in Philosophy (BA)
Combined Major in Philosophy and Religious Studies (BA)
Combined Major in Philosophy and Psychology (BA)
Combined Major in Philosophy and Sociology (BA)
Minor in Ethics
Minor in Philosophy

Degree Programs

Major in Religion - Religious Studies (BA)
Major in Religion -Religious Leadership (BA)
Combined Major in Anthropology and Religious Studies (BA)
Combined Major in Philosophy and Religious Studies (BA)
Minor in Religion

Programs

Major

Combined Major

Minor

Courses

Philosophy

Religion