Welcome to the Department of Religion! We invite you to immerse yourself in the texts, history, and practices of the religious traditions that have shaped society, politics, and the arts for millennia. Home to eight full-time faculty, with close ties to faculty in a host of other programs and departments, we are known for our breadth, interdisciplinary emphasis, and strong teaching, not to mention active and diverse faculty scholarship. We offer courses in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and American religions as well as in theory and method.

Students interested in our undergraduate program can pursue a major or a minor or simply sample from a varied menu of introductory and advanced courses. Our graduate program offers concentrations in Buddhism in its Asian Context, Medieval Christianity, and Religion, Ethics and Public Life. We also teach continuing education courses through the School of Continuing Studies.

The Religion Department also sponsors many public lectures and conferences. For department lectures, please see News and Events.

Richard Kieckhefer, Professor and Chair
Northwestern University Department of Religion