Theology and Religious Studies

Sharon Suh, PhD, Chair

Objectives

Every course offered in the College of Arts and Sciences seeks to deepen an understanding of what it means to be human. But only religion is defined as “the disclosure of something more”– to quote William James. Therefore courses in Theology and Religious Studies envision human life as never fully defined or completely explained. Creation is not something that happened in the past. Its mysteries continue to unfold within each person and within the expanding universe.

From this unfinished nature of human history–as a story without an ending–comes religious narratives and sacred texts. They serve to remind us that there is always more to know and more to love. At Seattle University all theology courses are grounded in this understanding as they examine Christian narratives and texts in light of modern questions and contemporary issues. Religious Studies courses extend this exploration beyond Christianity into the sacred texts and rituals of world religions.

The oldest stories in the world are religious. They “contain” and preserve understandings of human experience that invite reflection. Theology courses provide critical tools and methods for exploring how these religious stories disclose that there is meaning and value beyond what human knowledge can confirm or appreciate. They point to “the something more” in the experience of transcendence.