Religion Department
The Religion Department is dedicated to the academic study of religion as a complex and dynamic phenomenon deeply interwoven with other aspects of life and culture. It is an integral part of the liberal arts curriculum of the University. The department’s goals are:
- To teach about the world’s religious traditions, introducing students to the thought, beliefs, institutions, symbolic expressions, worship, and social and moral implications of these traditions, and to illuminate their interaction with other social and cultural forms, including other religious traditions;
- To introduce students to the various methods employed in religious studies: historical, philosophical and theological, sociological and psychological, textual, hermeneutical and aesthetic, and comparative;
- To provide a place for addressing big questions of value, meaning, and human cares and for assessing the ways these are addressed in religious communities;
- To encourage students to think about religious ways of life tolerantly, sympathetically, and yet critically.
Feature Stories
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Jeff Kosky headlined the episode focused on how art can mediate the invisible, evoke wonder and challenge the disenchantment of modernity.
This year’s honorees will be recognized during Alumni Weekend from April 30-May 3.
The professor of religion will discuss his book, “From the Heart: A Memoir and a Meditation — On a Vital Organ.â€
Atansova will deliver a lecture on the joys and challenges of writing a book on March 3.
Thirty years apart, a W&L love story continues.
Beckley worked at ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ for 40 years and served as the founding director of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability.
Eleven W&L students participated in the first full year of programming spread across multiple states.
Beyond the Page is a yearlong series of talks organized by the Provost’s Office to celebrate the significant achievements of the university’s faculty.
These alumni exemplify leadership, service and professional excellence and will be honored during Five-Star Festival, Oct. 3–5, 2025.
The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 on the Front Lawn with remarks by Alexandra R. Brown, Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Bible.
Jeff Kosky headlined two separate events held on May 13.