Religion Student Opportunities
Students studying religion at Carthage have many opportunities for enriched study and learning. Spend a semester assisting a pastor in leading their congregation or work to revitalize a church youth group as you build your ministry skills. Travel to the Hindu “land of the gods” to examine the religious significance of the Himalayan region. Spend a month in Israel and explore ancient sites in Jerusalem.
At Carthage, religion students regularly travel beyond the classroom boundaries to examine world religion from many angles.
Parish Service
Religion students at Carthage can get hands-on experience in ministry and leadership by working within a local congregation or church organization. The Practicum in Religion course at Carthage assigns students to a Kenosha-area congregation or church organization where they assist the pastor and practice leadership in several self-chosen areas of church life. Students meet regularly with their Carthage placement supervisor and participate in classroom conferences with their professor. The work gives students practical experience in ministry and hands-on training toward a future career as a minister or counselor.
Student Organizations
Carthage religion students can get involved in a number of student organizations dedicated to putting what’s learned in the classroom into practice. Join Catholics at Carthage, InterVarsity, and more!
See religion student organizations
Study Abroad
Students studying religion at Carthage have ample opportunity to study outside the United States during J-Term or for a semester. Spend a month excavating an ancient Roman temple in northern Israel, or spend a January examining religious myth and political vision in theatre in Berlin. Students have studied in Greece, Guatemala and the Himalayas. Current programs are offered in India, the Israel, and Germany.
J-Term
J-Term is a month-long period of study in January in which all academic departments offer innovative courses on campus, as well as study tours in other countries.
Recent on-campus J-Term offerings from the Religion Department include:
- Shared Sages in Sacred Scriptures, taught by religion professor Fatih Harpci
- God(s) and the Good Life: The Science of Religion and Morality, taught by psychology professor Melanie Nyhof
Recent J-Term study tours include:
- Louisiana: Business and Religious Analysis of Mardi Gras led by Prof. Julius Crump
- Tanzania: Experiencing Religion, Society, and Culture led by Prof. Andrea Ng’weshemi
- Spain: Studying Religions, Arts, and Architectures in Southern Spain (Andalusia) led by Prof. Fatih Harpci
- India: Religion and Modern Society led by Prof. James Locthefeld.
Every summer, religion professor Dan Schowalter leads a summer J-Term tour to northern Israel, France, or Greece, where students experience all aspects of the ongoing excavation. Many other study-abroad opportunities are also available.
Speakers and Guests
At Carthage, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about others’ experiences through the many lectures and presentations held on-campus and virtually throughout the year. Recent speakers include:
- A former Al-Qaeda recruiter and a former white supremacist shared their poignant, painful experiences of getting pulled into and later disowning violent extremism. Watch the presentation
- Amir Hussain, chair and professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, visited Carthage and several local congregations as the 2022 Kenosha Interfaith Scholar in Residence. Watch his presentation “Anti-Racism and Teaching about American Muslims”
- Fr. Michael Calabria of St. Bonaventure University presented “Islamic Architecture of Grief: Foundations of Faith” in 2022. Read about this event
Double Major
The religion major at Carthage is flexible, making it easy to combine with a major in another discipline. Many students choose to double-major in religion and another subject or add a religion minor to their educational focus. A professional in just about any field can benefit from a religion major. Students studying religion at Carthage receive rigorous training in thinking clearly about complex human issues and multicultural study, which can make anyone into a more effective lawyer, teacher, politician, business person, artist, psychologist, actor, social worker, physician, historian, or scientist.
Independent Study
Religion professors invite students to propose independent research or reading programs at any time during the year. The sponsoring professor can help the student craft such a project into a course taken for credit toward the religion major or minor program. All such independent study courses are designated under one of two course numbers, depending on the degree of challenge, and the specific title will appear on the student’s future transcripts. Here are some recent examples:
- Native American Spirituality
- Methodist Book of Discipline
- Church of the Latter-Day Saints
- Church of England Worship in Sixteenth-Century London
- Israeli Judaism
- Religion and Society
- Religious Rites of Passage
- Homosexuality in Church and Society
- God and Gender