LVC Religion & Philosophy Department Profile

Department of Religion & Philosophy

About the Program

Welcome to the Department of Religion & Philosophy at Lebanon Valley College. The department is home to faculty who are committed, innovative, and award-winning teachers, and internationally recognized scholars. Our faculty have published book monographs and edited volumes, as well as many articles in leading academic journals. We regularly bring to campus leading scholars and public figures within the fields of religion and philosophy. Over the past decade we have had a student named as a prestigious Fulbright Scholar, and many others who have gone on to law school, graduate school or seminary.

Departmental Mission: The mission of the Religion and Philosophy department is to engage, educate, and challenge students through the careful examination of the fundamental questions, the profound minds, and the diverse traditions, values and practices that have shaped human experience. Our teaching aims to foster our students’ abilities to reason critically, read analytically, and argue cogently. We emphasize the importance of writing and oral expression and encourage independent thought and research so that our students may grow into life-long learners who understand the value of reflection and thoughtful action. 

Committed and innovative teaching with several of our faculty members having won both college-wide and student organizational teaching awards and a commitment to small classes that emphasize critical thinking and discussion.



Opportunities to double major with many of our students double majoring in diverse academic fields such as Business, Political Science, Chemistry, Physics, Sociology and Music.



Opportunities to study abroad by partnering with the LVC study abroad office and integrating short-term travel abroad opportunities into already existing Religion and Philosophy courses. Our students have traveled to England, France, Greece, Italy, Spain & New Zealand.



Undergraduate research by requiring all students to complete a senior thesis research project, by creating opportunities for students to travel to and present at academic conferences, by creating a forum for students to study and interact with leading philosophers and scholars of religion, and by establishing a new chapter of the national honor society Theta Alpha Kappa.



Professional development with opportunities for internships and recent graduates successfully placed in law schools, graduate schools, and seminaries.

Recent Senior Thesis Research Projects::

 Understanding religion is understanding humanity. Scholars throughout the ages have been asking the ques ons "What is religion?", "What is the func on of reli‐

  

gion?", "Why does religion ma er?" That ques on s ll exists. It will always exist. As a religion major at LVC, I am a part of the answer. ‐Samantha Oates ‘13

 

Alex Cain ’09, "Life in a Virtual World: Interpre ng Bostrom's Simula on Argument" Carissa Devine ‘09, “The Impossibility of Utopia: A Philosophical Examina on of Money in Hegel and Marx” Tiffany Hubble ‘11, “Friedrich Nietzsche and Gilles Deleuze on the Transforma ve Value of Art”

I am a sophomore American Studies, Philosophy, and soon‐to‐be English Litera‐ ture triple major. I grew up in and around

Stephen Mann ‘11, “The Existence of Truth: In Defense of a Religious Epistemology”

the Philadelphia region. I o en get the

Amanda Zelazny ‘11, "Pie in the Sky? A Cri que of Tradi onal Pentecostal Eschatology”

a philosophy degree?" and I respond "I'm

Rachel Leer ‘12, “Sex, Gender & Plas city: Bridging the Gap Between Plas city and Neuroscience”

ques on "What are you going to do with going to change the world." ‐Marquis Bey ‘14

Curriculum

Â

Religion Major

Philosophy Major

The study of religion is designed to give students insight into the meaning of the religious dimension of human experience by exposing them to different cultural beliefs and practices and introducing them to the many methodologies in the comparative study of religion. Course work in religion introduces students to the various historical and contemporary expressions of the diverse religious traditions of humankind. The breadth of courses required by the major and minor are designed to impart upon the student a basic religious literacy, which is key to understanding an increasingly diverse world. Nearly all courses in Religion meet some general education requirement, thus giving students even more opportunity to take on a second major or a minor, and to study abroad.

The study of philosophy directly involves the student in the process of sharpening critical and analytical abilities. Philosophy courses examine some of the greatest perennial questions of values, knowledge, reality and their relation to human nature.

Many religion majors pursue graduate work in theology or religious studies. In addition, the religion major or minor is good preparation for preministerial seminary students, providing them with an academic and crosscultural approach to religion. Students often combine and religion major or minor with a major in another field that is related to their career choice.

Courses: REL 110.Introduction to Religion (fulfills L6 general education requirement) REL 120.Religion in America (fulfills Social Diversity general education requirement) REL 140.Encountering World Religions (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 200.Comparative Scripture (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 202.Jewish and Christian Scripture (fulfills L6 general education requirement) REL 204.Hindu Scripture (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 230.Philosophy of Religion (fulfills LG and writing process general education requirements) REL 250.Christianity (fulfills L6 general education requirement) REL 251.Judaism (fulfills L6 general education requirement) REL 252.Hinduism (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 253.Buddhism (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 255.Islam (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) REL 280.Method and Theory in Religion (fulfills writing process general education requirement) REL 311.Key Issues in Religion (fulfills writing process general education requirement) REL 313.The Search for Jesus (fulfills Disciplinary Perspectives and writing process general education requirements) REL 314.Death, Dying, and Beyond (fulfills Disciplinary Perspective general education requirement) REL 340.One Nation Under God? (fulfills L1 general education requirement) REL 499.Senior Seminar (fulfills writing process general education requirement)

Training in philosophy is excellent preparation for any career choice, and many students combine a philosophy major or minor with work in another discipline. In addition, philosophy has been a traditional academic major for students interested in law school.

The Philosophy program emphasizes writing throughout the curriculum. Nearly all courses in Philosophy meet some general education requirement, thus giving students even more opportunity to take on a second major or a minor, and to study abroad.

Courses: PHL 110.Introduction to Philosophy (fulfills L6 general education requirement) PHL 140.Encountering World Philosophies (fulfills Foreign Studies general education requirement) PHL 210.Ethics (fulfills L6 general education requirement ) PHL 222.American Philosophy (fulfills L6 general education requirement ) PHL 229.Culture and Conflict in Modern America (fulfills Social Diversity Studies general education requirement) PHL 230.Philosophy of Religion (fulfills L6 and writing process general education requirements) PHL 270.Seminar in the History of Philosophy (fulfills writing process general education requirement) PHL 280.Logic PHL 301.Key Authors (fulfills writing process general education requirement) PHL 311.Key Issues (fulfills writing process general education requirement) PHL 345.Political Philosophy (fulfills disciplinary perspectives general education

Student Research

The Department of Religion and Philosophy at LVC is made up of accomplished scholars and teachers who are committed to the integration of research into undergraduate education. Our faculty have published numerous books and scholarly articles in leading academic journals, and have studied and lectured around the world. We believe this expertise enhances the college classroom experience. It also creates numerous opportunities for our students to attend and participate in the broader academic discussion.

In recent years, together with our faculty, our students have attended several major international conferences. These include the annual meetings of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy and of the American Academy of Religion. But our students’ participation goes well beyond mere attendance. 

Our students have won awards for the most outstanding undergraduate paper at undergraduate/graduate conferences in philosophy.



We have planned upper level philosophy of religion seminar classes in preparation for the two most recent biannual “Postmodernism, Religion, and Culture” conferences.



We have offered an interdisciplinary course on “Death, Dying, and Beyond” in which student groups collaborated to create a large web database of essays, images, and reflections on death as a public resource.



Every graduating student in religion or philosophy completes the senior seminar where they present their thesis in a public forum. The best of these presentations are then chosen for inclusion in the college-wide celebration of student learning.



A recent graduate in 2009 was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship upon graduation, the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Our Fulbright Scholar spent a year studying in the international utopic community of Auroville in Southern India.



Our top performing students will be inducted into the newly established local chapter of the national honor society, Theta Alpha Kappa.



During the 2012-2013 academic year, we will be launching our first symposium on a living philosopher. The funding for the symposium was made possible by the Arnold Program for Experimental Education. This will be a unique learning experience in which students will have the opportunity to present their research and engage one of the world’s most exciting philosophers directly in reflection on her work.

Guest Speakers

Over the past several years the Department of Religion and Philosophy in conjunction with the college colloquium and the office of Multicultural Affairs has been pleased to host many of the world’s leading religious and philosophical scholars and thinkers.

The lineup is a truly impressive list, worldwide in its scope. 

It includes four of the world’s most widely known and discussed philosophers: John Caputo, Catherine Malabou, Gianni Vattimo, and Slavoj Žižek.



It includes several of the world’s leading theologians and biblical scholars: John Dominc Crossan, Catherine Keller, and Miroslav Volf.



It includes two former presidents of the American Academy of Religion, the world’s largest and most prestigious learned society and professional association of teachers and research scholars: Charles Long and Jeffrey Stout.



And it also includes some of the most cutting-edge and creative thinkers working at the intersections of religion, politics, philosophy and media studies: Philip Goodchild, Douglas Rushkoff, Peter Steeves, and Santiago Zabala.

By studying religion or philosophy at LVC, you will have the opportunity not simply to hear from these world-renowned thinkers, but to interact and be involved in personal conversation with them. We are a small, intimate department, but we aim to broaden our students’ horizons of expectations. We want our students to be ready to take on the world, in all its complexity. And we are committed to introducing them to many of the leading contemporary figures who are already doing precisely that.