A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
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I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Secularism as a College Major

From The New York Times:
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Pitzer College in California Adds Major in Secularism

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: May 7, 2011

Starting this fall, Pitzer College, a small liberal arts institution in Southern California, will inaugurate a department of secular studies. Professors from other departments, including history, philosophy, religion, science and sociology, will teach courses like "God, Darwin and Design in America," "Anxiety in the Age of Reason" and "Bible as Literature."

The department was proposed by Phil Zuckerman, a sociologist of religion, who describes himself as "culturally Jewish, but agnostic-atheist on questions of deep mystery." Over the years he grew increasingly intrigued by the growth of secularism in the United States and around the world. He studied and taught in Denmark, one of the world's most secular countries, and has written several books about atheism.

Studying nonbelief is as valid as studying belief, Mr. Zuckerman said, and the new major will make that very clear.


"It's not about arguing 'Is there a God or not?'" Mr. Zuckerman said. "There are hundreds of millions of people who are nonreligious. I want to know who they are, what they believe, why they are nonreligious. You have some countries where huge percentages of people — Czechs, Scandinavians — now call themselves atheists. Canada is experiencing a huge wave of secularization. This is happening very rapidly."

"It has not been studied," he added.

The percentage of American adults who say they have no religion has doubled in 20 years, to 15 percent, according to the American Religious Identification Survey, released in 2008. The survey was conducted by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, which houses the Institute for the Study of Secularism, Society and Culture but does not have a distinct major in secular studies.

Barry A. Kosmin, the director of the institute, said Pitzer College would be the first to have such a major. The institute hosted a conference for academics in California a few years ago on how to develop courses on secularism, which Mr. Zuckerman attended.

Initially, Mr. Zuckerman said he found some skepticism on campus about a secular studies major.

"I had to convince them that this is not an antireligion degree, any more than a religion department exists to bash nonbelievers," he said.

Pitzer, founded in 1963, is known as a liberal college that emphasizes community service and environmentalism, and its students receive an inordinate number of Fulbright fellowships for study abroad. It is one of the seven Claremont Colleges, neighboring campuses where students may take courses at institutions other than their own.

On April 28, Pitzer faculty members on the College Council voted unanimously to approve the secular studies major, subject to review in four years.

Laura Skandera Trombley, the president of Pitzer, said in an interview, "It's a serious area of scholarly endeavor, and Pitzer College has a tradition of doing really exciting, cutting-edge intellectual work, so this really fits into the ethos of the college."

Mr. Zuckerman said he immediately heard from three students interested in the major. One of them was Kiley Lawrence, a freshman from Mission Hills, Kan., and a pre-med student at Scripps College, one of the seven Claremont Colleges.

Ms. Lawrence attended an Episcopal school through eighth grade and was well versed in the Bible, but she said she became a skeptic early on. Now she plans to declare a double major in biophysics and secular studies, because, she said, “each enhances the other.”

Ms. Lawrence, 19, said, "I feel as though I'm being included in something really exciting and innovative, and perhaps even historic."

4 comments:

Bruce said...

As usual the bias of higher education rises to absurd levels. When was the last time higher education taught serious theology, faith or belief in God? This should be something taught in sociology departments. The info is good in and of itself, but a major?Higher ed reinforcing a favorite bisas is hardly expanding higher education. "Cutting edge,"? More like I am trying to keep my job and do not want to work too hard.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, they could do a dissertation on Snookie and the Jersey Shore!

larry said...

"The percentage of American adults who say they have no religion has doubled in 20 years, to 15 percent, according to the American Religious Identification Survey, released in 2008. The survey was conducted by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, which houses the Institute for the Study of Secularism, Society and Culture but does not have a distinct major in secular studies."

I don't the history of Trinity College in Hartford, but still had to laugh at the irony of a Trinity College housing something called the Institute for the Study of Secularism, Society and Culture.

John B said...

What kind of job does a major is secularism qualify a person for? Oh, I know, teaching at a liberal, liberal arts college where having no real world skills isn't a prerequisite.