{"id":305,"date":"2023-01-27T22:18:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T22:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/?page_id=305"},"modified":"2026-01-30T19:41:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T19:41:02","slug":"why-study-religions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/why-study-religions\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Study Religions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>The faculty of the Religion department helps students to grasp the stunning diversity of faith traditions of the past and present from around the globe. Religion students become experts in interdisciplinary methods of study and analysis, learning how to interpret textual, archaeological, visual, and material evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Our typically small classes allow faculty to work closely with students and get to know them as scholarly colleagues in the study of the world&#8217;s religions, especially in the two courses required of every Major (see below.)<\/p>\n<p>Students in Religion also take <strong>elective courses<\/strong> in many other departments in order to investigate, discuss, and interpret religious phenomena in a cross-cultural, historical, and interdisciplinary perspective.<\/p>\n<p><em>No matter what our students decide to do with their education and which careers they choose, we prepare students in the religion program to leave USC with all the skills that creative, capable, thinking citizens need to negotiate in our fast-changing world.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr style=\"height: 2px; border-width: 0; color: #ffcc00; background-color: #ffcc00;\" \/>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n            \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--home-sequence-cta-and-image \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--home-sequence-cta-and-image\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Programs Offered\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"cards-container\">\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/religion-banner1800x1800-320x320.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/religion-banner1800x1800-768x768.png 768w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/religion-banner1800x1800-320x320.png 320w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"School of Religion banner showing various religious sites across Los Angeles.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about Religion\"  \n>\n    Religion \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#FC0\" points=\"19.3,27.5 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          \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/jewishstudies\/\n  target=\"_blank\"  aria-label=\"Read more about Jewish Studies\"  \n>\n    Jewish Studies \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#FC0\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n          \n        <\/div>\n      \n        <div class=\"card\">\n\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/arch1800x1800-320x320.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/arch1800x1800-768x768.png 768w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/religion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2023\/04\/arch1800x1800-320x320.png 320w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Archaeology banner. Excavation.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/arch\/\n  target=\"_blank\"  aria-label=\"Read more about Archaeology\"  \n>\n    Archaeology \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#FC0\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n          \n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n      \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--contact-details \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--contact-details\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n\n          <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Contact Us\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= http:\/\/bit.ly\/USCReligion\n  target=\"_blank\"  aria-label=\"Read more about Donate to the School of Religion\"  \n>\n    Donate to the School of Religion \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n      <\/div>\n    \n    \n      <div class=\"contacts-container\">\n\n        \n                      <div class=\"contact-card\">\n\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p align=\"center\"><strong>Director of Undergraduate Studies<\/strong><br \/>\nJill Hicks-Keeton<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"mailto:jill.hk@usc.edu\">jill.hk@usc.edu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n              \n              \n              \n            <\/div>\n                    \n                      <div class=\"contact-card\">\n\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p align=\"center\"><strong>USC School of Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">825 Bloom Walk, ACB 130<br \/>\nLos Angeles, CA 90089<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"mailto:religion@usc.edu\">religion@usc.edu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n              \n              \n              \n            <\/div>\n                    \n                      <div class=\"contact-card\">\n\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p align=\"center\"><strong>Director of Graduate Studies<\/strong><br \/>\nCavan Concannon<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"mailto:concanno@usc.edu\">concanno@usc.edu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n              \n              \n              \n            <\/div>\n                    \n      <\/div>\n\n        \n     \n    \n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":278,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-content-detail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-305","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Study Religions? - School of Religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why study religions? 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