Opportunities abound for graduates of CLU's Religion program. The Religion Department seeks to instill knowledge of religion in its social, historical, ethical and theological dimensions, and to prepare students for a variety of careers.
Whether as preparation for graduate work, lay or ministerial church vocations, or nearly any other pursuit, the University's religion curriculum challenges students to engage in the academic study of religion as they explore the religious questions people have asked through the ages: the nature and meaning of scriptural texts, the existence and nature of God, the meaning of life, how humans should live life, and what awaits us after death. CLU's Religion program provides a solid grounding in religion as it supports the University's liberal arts emphasis to fully prepare students for the complex issues they will face throughout their lives.
Students may major in Religion or Theology and Christian Leadership, and minor emphases may include church vocations or youth ministry. Religion students enjoy many opportunities for internships and independent study, enabling them to explore specific areas of career/vocational interest while completing their undergraduate degree programs.
Religion students graduate from Cal Lutheran with the resources to think in a sophisticated way about religious issues in general and the place of religion in their own lives, and they are well prepared for additional study. Graduates are also eligible to enter the Associate in Ministry program for lay persons who are certified by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
NEW MEMBER OF THE RELIGION DEPARTMENT
We are happy to announce that Dr. Colleen Windham-Hughes has joined the Religion Department as a full-time member of the faculty. Dr. Windham-Hughes will teach in and administer the new Theology and Christian Leadership program, bringing both her experience in ministry and her academic training to the table.
At Whittier College Dr. Windham-Hughes designed an undergraduate major in Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism around her passion for the arts. A lifetime of experiences in church and at camp plus one life-changing course in Latin American Liberation Theologies in the spring of her junior year convinced her to pursue the study of religion in graduate school. Colleen completed a Master’s degree in Divinity at Claremont School of Theology and shaped a doctoral degree in Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, around interdisciplinary connections among Christian thought, practical engagement, and critical reflection. A Deacon in the United Methodist Church, Colleen’s experience includes university teaching, ministries with youth, children, and adults, and curriculum development for religious studies at an elementary school in Santa Barbara, California.
CLU Religion Department Faculty
Top (left to right): Sam Thomas, Jarvis Streeter, Joe Everson, Julia Fogg, Madeleine Marshall, Paul Egertson
Bottom: Kapp Johnson, Guy Erwin (Pam Brubaker and Rahuldeep Singh Gill not present)
