Religion and the Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University
recently adopted a core values statement. The courses offered by
the religion program at Butler are closely connected to many of
those values, and to the goals of a liberal education.
Throughout much of the core values statement, one could easily
substitute "the study of religion" for "the liberal arts", of which
it is a subset. The academic study of religion, whatever the
specific aspect of religion being studied, involves a significant
element of critical thinking, that is, of learning to think for
oneself in a way that involves not only a critical examination of
the views of others, but also of one's own views and assumptions.
Intellectually, the study of religion can provide an opportunity to
investigate humanity's highest ideals and values, and to place our
own deepest assumptions and convictions under the microscope. The
LAS core values statement asserts that "Liberal arts education
…scrutinizes sacred truths of every sort." While true in general,
the statement is perhaps most obviously true in relation to the
study of religion, which is focused on that which human beings
consider sacred in the strictest sense. Precisely because religion
involves beliefs and practices that individuals frequently isolate
from analysis and investigation, but which can nevertheless be the
cause of conflict among different religious communities, if
students can learn to think critically about religion, they can
apply those same skills to other, less controversial areas of
life.
A liberal arts education seeks to form broadly educated
individuals capable of lifelong learning. Religious
illiteracy is widespread. Many people know little about their own
religious traditions, let alone the history, doctrines, and
practices of others. Information is readily available on more web
pages than one could ever find the time to read, but many websites
contain half-truths, and others simply erroneous information.
Learning the research skills to investigate sources of information,
to demand evidence, to evaluate claims, and seek second opinions
are all key elements of the study of religion, the liberal arts,
and "lifelong learning."
The liberal arts involve not only an investigation of beliefs
and ideas, but also of actions, customs, traditions, and
creativity. Religions embody and give expression both to mysterious
rituals and symbolism and to concrete acts of social activism. The
religion program seeks to foster opportunities in its classrooms
for encounter between different points of view and ways of life. It
also provides occasions beyond the confines of the classroom for
students to encounter individuals of other faiths or no faith at
all, of other cultural backgrounds and heritages, Students in our
time more than ever before approach their studies with the
misperception that their future success in careers and in life in
general depends on their focus on skills and knowledge specific to
their choice of profession. Historically, however, it has been well
known (and continues to be known by prospective employers, if not
among would-be employees) that it is the breadth of education, the
ability to continue learning and training, the flexibility and
cultural awareness to interact with people and to deal
constructively with the unexpected, that makes the candidates who
possess them preferable to others. Whether one is hiring employees
in a diverse workforce or being asked to work in that same context,
the study of religion has much practical relevance not only in
terms of the content it offers, but also in terms of the skills it
nurtures.
Let us conclude, then, as the core values statement does: "As
students of religion, we do these things as part of a community
with venerable roots; a community still evolving in space and time;
a community of thought, imagination, value, labor, and action.