Not only a matter of belief, religion also is a primary mode for creating a sense of belonging and influences the entire scope of human societies, including ethical and political systems. Religious Studies engages the stuff of life and culture: faith and history, theology and ethics, texts and ritual, science and technology, art and literature, race, ethnicity and gender. We study Christianity and Catholicism, but also Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other traditions, including atheism, both local and global. In the Religious Studies Department, our teaching and research are suffused with a deep commitment to social justice and care for the earth itself. The study of religion intersects with virtually every other approach to understanding the world and ourselves.