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Religion & Philosophy Department

  • Emory & Henry students draw outside of the Memorial Chapel on a sunny day
  • Emory & Henry Religion Students and Faculty pose for a photo

Find yourself and others with religion and philosophy.

Religion touches all of life.

The study of religion involves exploration of scriptural texts, the wide range of historical and contemporary theological interpretations of those texts and the beliefs and practices that go with them, and the influence and power of religion in societies, cultures, and the lives of individual human beings. At Emory & Henry, our roots rest in Christianity, but our students have ample opportunity to explore other religious traditions as well.

Engaging students in critical and reflective thought.

Providing you with techniques of sound reasoning, philosophy majors go on to study law, medicine, religion, and are well prepared for applying to graduate school. At Emory & Henry, our courses include ethics, argumentation and debate, techniques in reasoning, philosophy of religion, jurisprudence and political philosophy.

Degrees

  • Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy

    To engage students in critical and reflective inquiry; to prepare students for graduate study or for a number of vocational fields.

  • Minor, Philosophy

    A student may minor in philosophy by completing 101, 211, 212, 231, and two other philosophy courses chosen in consultation with the department chair.

  • Bachelor of Arts, Religion

    To investigate religious thought and action within a balanced context of approaches, utilizing biblical, theological, literary, and historical insights.

  • Minor, Religion

    A student may minor in religion by completing 131, 132; 111, 212, 213 or 314; 310 and two electives from the department selected in consultation with the department chair.

Student Research

  • <h4 class="lw_blurbs_title">White Evangelicals and the 2016 Presidential Election</h4><div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p> Senior Religion major Jacob Dye is hard at work on his senior honors thesis, tentatively titled “Has the Donald ‘Trumped’ Jesus? White Evangelical Christians and the 2016 Presidential Election.” He is exploring data related to the overwhelming support from white Evangelicals for President Trump and is discussing that support in light of theological defenses of it from evangelical leaders as well as critiques of that support from other Christian voices. Jacob plans to attend Duke University Divinity School next year to pursue a M.Div. degree.</p></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/280-emory-henry-college-opens-interfaith-prayer"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.jpg" alt="Student Safa Farhoumand helps dedicate the Interfaith Prayer Room." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/3171_InterfaithPrayerRoom16_2.rev.1518211260.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/280-emory-henry-college-opens-interfaith-prayer">Emory & Henry College Opens Interfaith Prayer Room</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Equipped with chairs, tables, prayer rugs and religious texts, a room in the lower-level of Memorial Chapel on the Emory & Henry College campus is now available for students of all faiths to have a quiet place to pray and meditate.</p><a href="/live/news/280-emory-henry-college-opens-interfaith-prayer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/9-kala-curtis-18-investigates-suicide-in-african"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,451/413_pasted_image_0_1.rev.1502111999.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,451/413_pasted_image_0_1.rev.1502111999.png 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,451/413_pasted_image_0_1.rev.1502111999.png" alt="" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,451/413_pasted_image_0_1.rev.1502111999.png 2x" data-max-w="1024" data-max-h="451" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/9-kala-curtis-18-investigates-suicide-in-african">Kala Curtis ’18, Investigates Suicide in African Countries</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curtis is researching the suicide rates in African countries in order to compare and discover an operational factor that can facilitate awareness to the suicidal conditions in these countries</span> <a href="/live/news/9-kala-curtis-18-investigates-suicide-in-african" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1752-emery-laethem-to-attend-law-school"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.jpg" alt="Emery Laethem" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2316,3088/9706_emery_laethem_profile_pic.rev.1618410038.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2316" data-max-h="3088" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1752-emery-laethem-to-attend-law-school">Emery Laethem to attend law school</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Emory & Henry seniors are preparing to graduate and change the world.</span></p><a href="/live/news/1752-emery-laethem-to-attend-law-school" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1792-courtney-brooks-to-pursue-masters-degree-at"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,828,1207/9779_Courtney_Brooks.rev.1619175437.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,828,1207/9779_Courtney_Brooks.rev.1619175437.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,828,1207/9779_Courtney_Brooks.rev.1619175437.jpg" alt="Courtney Brooks" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,828,1207/9779_Courtney_Brooks.rev.1619175437.jpg 2x" data-max-w="828" data-max-h="1207" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1792-courtney-brooks-to-pursue-masters-degree-at">Courtney Brooks to pursue master’s degree at Virginia Tech</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Emory & Henry seniors are preparing to graduate and change the world.</span></p><a href="/live/news/1792-courtney-brooks-to-pursue-masters-degree-at" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1759-taylor-hines-to-pursue-masters-degree-at-duke"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.jpg" alt="Taylor Hines" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/104/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1440,1800/9722_Taylor_Hines.rev.1618499771.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1440" data-max-h="1800" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1759-taylor-hines-to-pursue-masters-degree-at-duke">Taylor Hines to pursue master’s degree at Duke University Divinity School</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Our Emory & Henry seniors are preparing to graduate and change the world.</p><a href="/live/news/1759-taylor-hines-to-pursue-masters-degree-at-duke" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/788-trollinger-named-citizen-of-the-year"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/38,0,514,475/6285_Richard_Trollinger.rev.1554994277.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/38,0,514,475/6285_Richard_Trollinger.rev.1554994277.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/38,0,514,475/6285_Richard_Trollinger.rev.1554994277.jpg" alt="Richard Trollinger, E&H Class of 1971." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="476" data-max-h="475" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/788-trollinger-named-citizen-of-the-year">Trollinger Named Citizen of the Year</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Richard Trollinger (E&H ’71) has been named Danville, Kentucky, citizen of the year. <a href="/live/news/788-trollinger-named-citizen-of-the-year" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/868-whats-next-umc-next"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,65,681,747/6483_Don_hanshew.rev.1560972647.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,65,681,747/6483_Don_hanshew.rev.1560972647.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,65,681,747/6483_Don_hanshew.rev.1560972647.jpg" alt="Rev. Don Hanshew, E&H '96, at Dublin United Methodist Church" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="681" data-max-h="682" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/868-whats-next-umc-next">What’s Next? UMC Next</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Listen to an interview with Rev. Don Hanshew (E&H ’96) on WEHC-FM 90.7 on Monday, July 1 at 1 pm (with a repeat on Thursday July 4 at 6:30 pm). <a href="/live/news/868-whats-next-umc-next" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/973-burns-brings-social-justice-discussions-to-eamph"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.jpg" alt="Rev. Leah Burns during her classroom lecture." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2048,1367/6905_Leah_Burns-classroom.rev.1568741578.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2048" data-max-h="1367" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/973-burns-brings-social-justice-discussions-to-eamph">Burns Brings Social Justice Discussions to E&H</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Rev. Leah Burns of Knoxville Tenn. visited classrooms and hosted a Lyceum to invoke discussions on social justice in the Methodist Church and college campuses. <a href="/live/news/973-burns-brings-social-justice-discussions-to-eamph" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>