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Caleb Elfenbein, Assistant Professor of History and Religious Studies meets with a small group of students in the Iowa Room in the basement of Burling Library

Religious Studies

Become empowered to engage.

On campus, in your local community, and in all corners of the world, people conduct themselves based on their sense of what gives meaning to their lives. Understanding the cultural and historical roots of religious ideas and practices is essential to your ability to navigate the complexities of our global, multicultural society. As an interdisciplinary field of study, religious studies offers you an intensely international experience as well as research and global learning opportunities that open an array of potential career paths. Most importantly, you will be empowered to engage personally, intellectually, and practically with complex and difficult issues that face our local, national, and international communities.

Why Religious Studies?

  • Students examine ancient texts

    International Education

    Explore traditions and customs from around the world.

    You’ll have myriad opportunities to study and reflect on religious traditions that shape human society, as well as opportunities to understand the beliefs and practices of others. You’ll find the religious studies curriculum to be among the most international on campus, with courses covering religious traditions and communities in the United States, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East — and you’ll have the opportunity to study abroad, along with most of your fellow religious studies majors.

  • Professor and class

    Expert Faculty

    Receive guidance and support in pursuing your own study and research interests.

    You’ll work with faculty members who have expertise in particular religious traditions, but who are also committed to the comparative study of religion. This means they’ll guide you through study of the similarities and differences that exist in the history of religions, historical interactions among religious communities, and the nature of human religiosity in general. They will also encourage you to develop and pursue your own research interests and engage in independent study and Mentored Advanced Projects.

  • Students in historic reading room

    Liberal Arts

    A broad, comprehensive education that leads to wide-ranging opportunities later in life.

    As a religious studies student at Grinnell, you’ll engage both broadly and deeply in the liberal arts. Because religious traditions have touched every aspect of human culture, your studies will draw from a wide variety of academic disciplines, such as anthropology, history, sociology, literary criticism, gender and women’s studies, and philosophy. This diverse coursework will help you develop skills in critical thinking and communication, which, along with the breadth of knowledge and perspective gained in the study of religion, will prepare you for a full range of opportunities in life.

Student Spotlight

Destiny Magnett ’22
Destiny Magnett ’22 Finds a Sense of Purpose in Religious Studies

Truman Scholar Destiny Magnett ’22 is using her religious studies degree to explore religion, ethics, and politics on an international scale.

  • Henry Reitz

    Equipping Students to Find their Own Path in the World

    "We prize and value the individual, but we prize and value the individual in community."

    Professor of Religious Studies Henry Rietz describes the Grinnell College community, including students and alumni.

    Watch the Video

Featured Courses

Dixuan Yujing Chen teaches religious studies
Alternative Perspectives on Healing

Religion, Healing, and Health (REL 252) is an interdisciplinary course that explores the religious and social dimensions of healing worldwide. The course includes explorations of the complex relationships among spiritual practices, health, and wellness.

Middle Eastern text with magifying glass
The Intertwined Study of Religion and History

As a student in the course Studying Religion: Middle East (REL 103), which serves as an introduction to the religious studies major, you’ll be immersed in the history and religions of the Middle East.

Religious Studies Career Outcomes

First Destinations

  • 44% Employment
  • 32% Graduate School
  • 16% Post-Graduate Service
  • 0% Fellowships
  • 0% Continuing Education
  • 8% Other

Employment

101%
Positions related to Career Goals

Positions Related to Career Goals

This graph illustrates the extent to which our graduates' first job is aligned with their career goals. It's one thing to find a job; it's an entirely different thing to land the job you want!

Employer

  • Center for Conflict Resolution
  • Haver Analytics
  • Scattergood Friends School

Graduate Schools

83%
83% Accepted to 1st- or 2nd- choice programs

Graduate School Acceptance Info

Of those who applied to and were accepted to at least one program, this chart illustrates the percentage of admitted students who were accepted to either their first or second choice program and institution.

Institutions

  • Harvard University
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Illinois
  • Vanderbilt University
Explore More Graduate Outcomes

Department Chair

Henry W. Rietz ’89

Department Information

Phone
641-269-4041
Fax
641-269-4414

HSSC
1226 Park St
Grinnell, IA 50112
United States

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