“Religion is always in the room” 

 - Liz Kineke, formerly of CBS Religion

Scholars used to think that religion would become less important in the world as societies modernized. However, in ways that are both visible and hidden, religion remains an essential part of culture in the US and around the world in the early twenty-first century. The study of religion at UVM provides students with the tools to understand how religions affect people's lives and communities, both in the past and in the present. Examining narratives, practices, and communities, we ask how religions provide meaning, and how these systems of meaning are in turn shaped by systems such as gender, race and ethnicity, and nationalism. Discover why people study religion and learn more about the B.A. in Religion, or the Certificate in Religious Literacy in Professions.

What Makes Us Special

Religion students posing for photo

Classes That Challenge and Enlighten

Religion classes help you understand society better by looking at stories that make sense of the world. We focus on specific religions but also want students to understand that religions are located in places, communities, and traditions, and are tools and systems that both liberate and oppress.
Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst

A Faculty of Scholar-Teachers

Our faculty is focused on thoughtful, transdisciplinary research, and we bring students right along with us in this work. We engage in study across multiple disciplines—religion, history, anthropology, environmental studies, English, ethnomusicology—to think about how religion “works” in the world.
A student sitting outside while reading

What Do People Do with a Religion Major?

Our students do many things: They teach, go into professions such as law or medicine, do non-profit work, and so much more. And while some belong to religious communities, many do not. We help students see how religion works in society, so they can gain crucial knowledge about how societies work.