Jeff Trumbower, professor of religious studies, thinks that the rise in student interest, in part, is from "the inherent interdisciplinary nature of religious studies (one can look at religious phenomena from a variety of perspectives: history, literature, sociology, psychology, philosophy), the fact that study of religion gives one a focus to understand culture, the world, geo-political events. Religious studies can combine the analytical with the existential for many people: while understanding religious phenomena in the world one is also able to ask larger questions about oneself and the universe."

Chair of St. Michael's Department of Religious Studies Jim Byrne says, "Significant increase in interest in religious studies may be from wider cultural issues having to do with 9/1l and with our engagement with the world of Islam, but also with a realization that the world is to a great extent motivated by religious belief. To understand the world, to quote one student, ‘you need to understand religion’."

"There’s a genuine interest in the spiritual element of reality on the part of students and in learning about other religions and cultures, as well as their own," Byrne adds.

To meet added student interest, Saint Michael’s religious studies department is currently adding new faculty.

"The reasons for this are manifold. Certainly the post-boomer, and now post-post-boomer generations have fewer of the "hangups" about religion--it's not something often that they felt given to them by their parents, and so they seem to come to it with less psychic baggage than previous eras have. Also the generally more positive relationships between parents and children these days--the pathological form of which is 'helicopter parents,' but the good form of which is just rich and rewarding mutual relationships--means that they feel less need to revolt against all that their parents gave them, which often includes religion. So they're more open to taking religion courses. (They then discover that what academics teach as religious studies is not catechism but something else, and often they find that even more exciting.)

"There is also the post-9/11 effect, of people wanting to understand what is going on in the world. But more importantly, it seems to my self-satisfied perspective, religious studies courses often ask questions that no one else asks. Philosophy has become a fairly technical discipline. English is often about critiquing ideologies. Anthropology is fairly fine-grained ethnographic studies. If you want to ask fundamental questions about reality--is there a god? What is good and evil? What are humans? -- these sorts of questions have, almost by default, become increasingly the province of religious studies.

"So I'd say for demographic/cultural, geopolitical, and intra-academic reasons, religious studies courses continue to expand in popularity."

"One thing that has changed in the last two years is that we added a specialist in Islam to our faculty. Some of new prospective majors are coming from his classes, but not a majority. Indeed they are coming from several professors, pretty evenly distributed among us. Professor Marks' First Year Seminar on Death and Dying brought several to the major.

"I wouldn't say, either, that these are students who are spiritually motivated to study religion. Our department is known for academic rigor and not especially for spiritual guidance. This does not mean, of course, that the inner reasons for choosing a major in religion are not related to the spiritual life. We do also have a few in this new group who are finding connections between religion and other disciplines and choosing to double major; Religion and Classics is one area, Religion and Politics another."

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University Chaplain Mark Shiner attributes the participation in programs to a number of factors including a change in climate wherein religion is not a forbidden subject and an increase in student-driven programming.

Rabbi David Levy, associate university chaplain, says that even more compelling is the increasing, intentional interaction between the various religious groups on our campus. "I think there is a real sense that the old divisions between people are obstacles to human progress. And that by working together we can live in a lab that is testing what the 'real world' can be like," said Levy.

President Rebecca Chopp, professor of philosophy and religion and expert theologian, believes increased participation in community service has also stimulated a spiritual yearning in young people today.

Religious Studies Chair Sandra Yocum-Mize says, "Students are more serious not only about their spiritual lives but that the seriousness is reflected in their commitment to religious practices and involvement in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. This trend is evident in looking at the number of students who participate in daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration and other devotional practices like praying the rosary.

"I also think our students are very aware of the importance of religion throughout the world through study abroad in places like Cameroon and India as well as the fact that the Catholic Church is international. Some students take religion classes as part of their international studies interests. They know it is important to understand religious traditions different than their own to be able to interact more effectively with the people they may encounter in their work life, as well as their personal life."

In 2006, UD students majoring in religious studies had more than doubled since 2001, increasing from 32 to 71. "Just this semester, we began with four students who are declared majors and have increased to eight. Some are double majors and may indicate this growing interest in the role of religion," Yocum-Mize notes.

"For me, majoring in religion was a way to learn about the foundations of different cultures," says Oberlin College Student Aisha Hadlock, a religious studies major from Montana. "I believe that all cultures and nations, no matter how secular, have a set of religious beliefs that form the foundation of laws, social norms, and expectations. It is my hope and belief that an understanding of other religions will help people better co-exist, or at least curb the frequency of clashes and misunderstandings between cultures. I see this as very important in a diverse nation like the U.S. and in a time of growing globalization."

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