We grant a Bachelor's degree and a Minor. Both programs offer introductory and advanced courses that enable you to reach the four goals of the academic study of Theology and Religion for undergraduate students at Villanova.
Our Students ...
- engage Theology and Religious Studies as academic disciplines, each with their own methods of analyzing religious phenomena;
- investigate the central beliefs and practices of the Christian tradition with a particular emphasis on Roman Catholicism;
- analyze the phenomenon of religion as it operates in human history as well as in contemporary culture; and
- evaluate the significance of religion for personal and collective ecological, political, economic, social, and cultural life.
To reach these goals, our programs emphasize a broad understanding of Christian and non-Christian theological and religious traditions. We invite students to participate in what Augustine calls the restless search for wisdom and embark on an academic journey to recognize Christian theology as a living, ongoing tradition that continues to be refined as it engages the contemporary world. Discerning the relevance of Christian theology for our lives and values, studying with us encourages all of us to understand those whose values and senses of the sacred differ from our own.
Ultimately, our programs invite you ...
- to appreciate Christianity's contributions to the development of Western culture and recognize the complexity and diversity of religious beliefs and practices in pluralistic societies;
- clarify and articulate moral convictions; and
- deliberate and form judgments both about everyday theological and ethical issues and the implications of moral principles for building a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.
