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.

I am a sophomore American Studies, 

Philosophy, and soon‐to‐be English Litera‐

ture triple major. I grew up in and around 

the Philadelphia region. I o en get the 

ques on "What are you going to do with 

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

going to change the world."  

                           ‐Marquis Bey ‘14 

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 

Recent Senior Thesis Research Projects:: 

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” 

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

Epistemology” 

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

Eschatology” 

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

and Neuroscience” 

Curriculum 

Religion 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 differ-

ent cultural beliefs and practices and introducing them to the many meth-

odologies in the comparative study of religion. Course work in religion in-

troduces 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 di-

verse world. Nearly all courses in Religion meet some general education

requirement, thus giving students even more opportunity to take on a se-

cond major or a minor, and to study abroad.

Many religion majors pursue graduate work in theology or religious stud-

ies. In addition, the religion major or minor is good preparation for pre-

ministerial seminary students, providing them with an academic and cross-

cultural 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 require-ment) 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 require-ments) 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 require-ment) 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 require-ment) REL 340.One Nation Under God? (fulfills L1 general education requirement) REL 499.Senior Seminar (fulfills writing process general education requirement)

Philosophy Major The study of philosophy directly involves the student in the pro-

cess 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.

Training in philosophy is excellent preparation for any career

choice, and many students combine a philosophy major or mi-

nor 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 gen-

eral 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 Stud-ies general education requirement) PHL 230.Philosophy of Religion (fulfills L6 and writing process general educa-tion 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 meet-

ings 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 ex-

change 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.