About the Department

The Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council Declaration, Nostra Aetate, tells us that people look to their religious traditions for answers to the most profound questions of human life: 

What is humanity? What is the meaning, the aim of our life? What is moral good, what sin? Whence suffering and what purpose does it serve? Which is the road to true happiness? What are death, judgment and retribution after death? What, finally, is that ultimate inexpressible mystery which encompasses our existence: whence do we come, and where are we going? (NA1). 

Drawing from that Vatican II insight, the Religion Department’s curriculum is designed to immerse students into the study of Christianity and non-Christianity. Our professors believe that when we study religion, theology, and ethics in global, ecumenical, and interreligious context, we begin to attain an indispensable window into the deepest cares, hopes, aspirations, and anxieties of humanity. Such a window is essential if we hope to live in solidarity with one another and for the common good of all persons.

The Religion Department’s courses focus on the study of Christianity, especially Catholicism but also Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. But we believe that the study of Christianity is incomplete without also studying the major non-Christian religions of the world. To that end, the Religion Department offers a plethora of opportunities to study the vibrant, challenging, and venerable traditions of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

We invite you to explore our curriculum if you are interested in deepening your own faith or interested in the religious beliefs and practices of those different from you.

If you are committed to the cause of social justice and desire to learn how that commitment can inform and animate your career goals in medicine, law, business, education, or the sciences, then our undergraduate and graduate courses in religious, theological, and ethical studies may be exactly what you are looking for.

Undergraduate Program

The religion major and minor at Seton Hall offers studies that cover major world religious traditions, especially Christianity but also Christianity in relation to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Our undergraduate programs in religion, theology, and ethics also focuses on a wide variety of interdisciplinary topics and issues including Catholic social teaching, medical ethics, environmental ethics, secularism and political theory, war and peace, race and ethnicity, biblical archaeology, interfaith dialogue, gender and women's studies, and much more.

Graduate Program 

The Master of Arts degree in Jewish-Christian Studies educates students in the history, theology, ethics, and scriptures of the Jewish and Christian faith traditions and prepares graduates for advanced doctoral biblical and religious studies and many facets of interreligious and multicultural relations, dialogue and diplomatic encounters.  

B.A. - M.A. in Religion and Public Administration (5 Year Dual Degree)

The Department of Religion, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs, also offers a dual degree B.A. and M.A. in Religion and Public Administration. This five-year program is a smart option for students who plan on pursuing careers in the non-profit sector, public interest law, school administration, or non-governmental relief services and social advocacy. 

Theta Alpha Kappa

The Seton Hall chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa (TAK), the National Honor Society for Religious and Theology, is hosted and supported by the Department of Religion. TAK's mission is to honor and promote academic excellence in the disciplines of religious and theological studies. Members include students, as well as faculty.