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.
The CLU Religion Department welcomes Victor Thasiah, Ph.D., as a new full-time member of the faculty:
Before joining the CLU Religion Department, Dr. Thasiah served as the Director of Social Policy at the national office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Lutheran Ethics, and adjunct professor of religion at Elmhurst College. In addition to teaching ethics and religion at CLU, he currently serves as advisor to the ELCA criminal justice task force (comprising nationally recognized experts in law enforcement, the judicial system, corrections, criminology, theology, and ministry) and affiliated faculty of CLU's Center for Equality and Justice. Dr. Thasiah's areas of interest include: global Christian ethics; political theology; postmodern ethics; poverty and hunger; faith and immigration reform; religion and violence; utopian ethics; and art as social practice. He is currently doing research on Karl Barth's ethics (the first stage of this research took the form of a doctoral dissertation on Barth's basis for ethics); and on mystical forms of non-instrumental relations with God. Dr. Thasiah is passionate about Christian faith and practice that addresses social issues locally, nationally, globally, and interpersonally; and frequently speaks to groups on connecting Christian faith, justice, and service.
