What can religion teach you about the meaning of life? About justice and morality? About your own purpose?
Dive into the deep questions with a major in Religious and Theological Studies. Through courses like Introduction to Religions of the World, History of Christian Theology, and Biblical Studies, you’ll learn how to think about religions — your own, if you have one, and others’. Study the development of global religions and the role these play in the world today. Gain an understanding of how religion influences culture, conflicts and current events around the world. Reflect on the big questions that consume humankind through the lens of faith.
What do our graduates do?
St. Edward’s Religious and Theological Studies majors go on to a variety of careers. Here’s a sample:
- Judicial Law Clerk, Supreme Court of Texas
- Literacy Tutor, AmeriCorps
- Director of Campus Ministry, University of St. Thomas
- Ambassador for Poverty Relief, Noonday Collection
- Theology Teacher, St. Pius X (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- Director of Social Justice Ministries, St. Austin Catholic Parish
- Filmmaker, Congregation of Holy Cross
- Director of the Beecken Center, School of Theology, Sewanee
- Peace Corps Volunteers, Dominican Volunteers, Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Major Roadmap
Explore your options — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Use the Religious and Theological Studies Major Guide to find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future.
Prestigious Awards and Graduate School
Religious and Theological Studies students have been selected for prestigious fellowships such as the Fulbright Awards for South Korea, Israel, and Germany. Alumni of our program also pursue graduate studies in religious studies and theology at the University of Notre Dame, Harvard Divinity School, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Yale University, Duke Divinity School, Catholic Theological Union, Drew University, Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary and New York University and flourish in the fields of higher education and ministry.
At the same time, our alumni also go on to Georgetown Law School, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of Houston Law Center, Museum Studies at the University of Washington, Agricultural and Applied Economics at Texas Tech, and Social Work at New York University.
For more information on the Religious and Theological Studies major, please contact Professor and Chair of Religious and Theological Studies, Kelley Coblentz Bautch. The Religious and Theological Studies major is part of the Department of Religious and Theological Studies.
A New Bible Captivates Campus
A 21st-century illuminated Bible makes its sojourn to St. Edward’s.
The Classroom and Beyond
As a Religious and Theological Studies major, you’ll have the chance to apply your education on and off campus. Austin’s religious community is diverse and offers many opportunities to participate in interfaith dialogue, volunteer or intern at faith-based service organizations, or work at the intersection of religion and politics.
Experiential Education
In Introduction to Religions of the World and Asian Traditions, you’ll accompany your professor on visits to the Austin Hindu Temple and the Tibetan Buddhist Palri Pema Od Ling temple for a guided meditation with a Tibetan lama.
Introduction to Christian Morality focuses on the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew, and Catholic social teaching. As a complement to what you learn in class, you’ll participate in volunteer opportunities through Campus Ministry’s S.E.R.V.E. program.
Student Organizations
- St. Edward’s Chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society of Religious Studies and Theology, celebrates student accomplishments and builds community among our majors. Students associated with honor society can share their original research at conferences and can compete for national scholarships.
- Campus Ministry offers opportunities to deepen your spirituality and your understanding of others’ faiths – whether or not you’re Catholic. Go on a retreat to develop mindfulness (and relationships with fellow students on retreat), attend an interfaith program, or join a Bible study. Campus Ministry also coordinates several of St. Edward’s signature service programs like S.E.R.V.E Austin.
- Service Break Experiences give you the chance to travel to another community, volunteer and learn about local life. SBEs are built on ongoing relationships between St. Edward’s and the service location and require students to prepare — educationally and spiritually — beforehand.
St. Edward’s hosts two lecture series that are of particular interest to Religious and Theological Studies majors. The Nostra Aetate Lecture explores interreligious dialogue and the values reflected in the groundbreaking Vatican II (1965) document of the same name. The Most Reverend John McCarthy Lecture Series on the Catholic Church in the 21st Century is named in honor of a former Diocese of Austin bishop and features religious and lay experts from around the country discussing issues facing modern and contemporary Catholicism.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements: The Bachelor of Arts in Religious and Theological Studies requires 34 hours of major courses. Core courses provide a solid foundation and are complemented by courses in particular areas of interest; for example, world religions, systematic theology, biblical studies, or other areas within the discipline.
Electives: Students complete 6 hours of elective courses in a Religious Studies.
View and download the full degree plan for our Religious and Theological Studies major (PDF).
A few examples of courses students in this major take:
- Introduction to Christian Morality – This course will investigate the foundations of Christian morality contained within Scripture, natural law, church tradition and various theological systems.
- Introduction to Religions of the World – This course examines the historical development of the five major religious traditions of the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
- History of Christian Theology I – This course introduces students to the development of Christian theology from the end of the first through the fifth century.
Internships
The Religious and Theological Studies major prepares you for professional opportunities including in the nonprofit, media, healthcare and arts sectors, and any career that pertains to religion. In recent semesters, our students have interned at locations including these:
- Interfaith Action of Central Texas
- Catholic Charities of Central Texas
- The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life
- The Office of Worship for the Diocese of Austin
- St. Michael's Catholic Academy
Our Faculty
What do the Torah, the Prophets, Latin America and the Yiddish Renaissance have in common? All these topics come up in the classrooms of Prof. Richard Bautch, author of several monographs and edited volumes, editor of the Catholic Biblical Monograph Series, and chair of the Persian Period program unit within the International Society of Biblical Literature. Professor Bautch encourages his students to apply insights from the past to today's significant social questions.
– Richard Bautch, Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities
In addition to teaching courses on early Judaism and Christianity, Prof. Coblentz Bautch can be found exploring through her research angels, demons and apocalyptic literature. Prof. Coblentz Bautch serves students and colleagues through her work as Chair of the Religious and Theological Studies Department at St. Edward’s; she also holds leadership roles within professional organizations. Prof. CB values helping students reach for the stars through the pursuit of their own academic goals.
– Kelley Coblentz Bautch, Professor and Chair of Religious and Theological Studies
Researching in global contexts such as Denmark, Norway, Israel, and Palestine, the Rev. Dr. Veninga spends time thinking about how religion and theology relate to contemporary issues of justice, violence, and peace. The author of Secularism, Theology and Islam, her current project focuses on collective trauma, memory, and the theology of witness. Dr. Veninga enjoys writing about Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard and how existentialist thought informs challenging issues.
– Jennifer Veninga, Associate Professor of Religious and Theological Studies
For Dr. Heaps, the tougher the questions, the better. He’s written articles asking whether forgiveness and justice can coexist. In the classroom, he aims to get at the hard questions too: Can we recognize what is true or good? Who do we give authority to and why? What, if anything, is God up to in the world? In both his research and the classroom, Dr. Heaps relies primarily on the Catholic intellectual tradition, especially 20th century Roman Catholic philosophy and systematic theology. He also loves good coffee.
-Jonathan Heaps, Visiting Instructor of Religious and Theological Studies
Professor Emeritus, Fr. Brusatti shares expertise in pastoral ministry, spirituality, world religions, and ethics with the St. Edward’s community in a variety of contexts. From work with Campus Ministry to lecturing in Religious and Theological Studies, Fr. Brusatti remains a vital member of Religious and Theological Studies and Catholic Studies Programs. The recipient of numerous grants, Fr. Brusatti also serves on the Mission and Ethics Committee for the Seton Family of Hospitals, Seton Cove Board and St. Michael’s Catholic Academy Board.
– Louis Brusatti, Professor Emeritus of Religious and Theological Studies
Religious and Theological Studies Minor
Students who wish to earn a Religious and Theological Studies minor must take the following coursework, totaling 19 hours.
Required Courses
- Methods in Religious Studies
Choose one of the three following courses:
- Intro to Religions of the World
- Basic Christian Questions
- Intro to Catholicism
Choose one of the two following courses:
- Intro to the Hebrew Bible
- Intro to the New Testament
Choose one of the two following courses:
- History of Christian Theology I
- History of Christian Theology II
Electives
Students must take one 2000-level course and two 3000-level courses.
Are you a current student? Contact your advisor for next steps on declaring your major or minor.