Theology and Religious Studies, BA (Pending NYSED Approval)
Drawn from the Mount’s identity as a Catholic-Dominican institution of higher learning, the Theology component of a Theology–Religious Studies Major offers a uniquely Catholic component and, as such, would draw upon the vast storehouse of wisdom from within the Catholic intellectual tradition. The major includes a strong emphasis on the organic unity of faith and reason, the personal awareness of the mysterious, purposeful character of Divine Providence, a metaphysical understanding of the human person, and finally, an awareness of the fundamental meaningfulness of the universe in which the human person can freely choose to flourish. Deeply rooted in a love of the intellectual life, our promotion of Religious Studies in this program is born from wonder of the marvels of the world, both natural and supernatural. As such, Catholic Theology seeks to be in continuous dialogue both ecumenically and inter-religiously, in the advancement of building Christian understanding and unity, and friendship with other non-Christian religious traditions. With this in mind, our identity as a Theology & Religious Studies program seeks to edify the dialogue with all faiths.
The Theology and Religious Studies major provides its students with a broad but significant introduction to theology, history, controversies, and diverse issues within the field as well as the study of religious textual tradition. This major requires a broad range of courses in Biblical Studies, Systematic/Moral Theology, History, and World Religions. But a unique feature of this program is that it also requires theological courses related to Culture and Spirituality. An additional distinctive feature of this major is that of experiential learning. These opportunities outside of the classroom include a required service experience and a broad range of other opportunities such as internships and retreats.