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<< back to About the Department History of Religious Studies at MU The Department of Religious Studies is dedicated to the study of religion in its various historical, cultural and social contexts. Created in 1981 as part of the humanities division in MU's College of Arts and Science, the nationally acclaimed program developed without formal ties to particular religious traditions or institutions. As part of a state university, the department eventually evolved an innovative structure that has received national recognition for its originality and excellence. Broadly described, that structure incorporates the study of Western, Asian and Indigenous religions in a coherent and integrated program. The primary basis for the department's structure is the affirmation that the focus of curriculum should be the exploration of religion in human life rather than study of one or two specific traditions and the belief that such exploration can only be carried out in a comparative framework. In order to provide that framework, the department offers courses that examine aspects of Western religions, Asian religions and the religions of indigenous peoples in various parts of the world. Since it is impossible to examine all forms of religion, the department emphasizes the study of selected traditions within each of these three categories of religion. While traditions cross categories and the categories themselves intersect in a variety of ways, the distinctive histories, geographies, institutions and forms of religion within these categories allow the three to represent the variety of religion. One consequence of this structure is that the department has been able to contribute significantly to multicultural, international and interdisciplinary programs on this campus. |
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| Department of Religious Studies College of Arts and Science University of Missouri-Columbia 221 Arts and Science Building Columbia, MO 65211-7090 email: rsinfo@missouri.edu phone: 573-882-4769 fax: 573-882-4495 |
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