Religious Studies and Philosophy

The Hill's courses in Religious Studies investigate both humanity's perceived relationships with the transcendent and the many elements of our cultures shaped by those perceptions—elements which the Western world has typically grouped together under the category "religion."

Our courses in Philosophy consider both the historical development of the discipline and the still lively questions raised by both Eastern and Western traditions. Typical departmental offerings have covered topics as diverse as ethics, comparative religion, philosophical theology, the history of religion, religion in literature, and biblical studies.

As an academic department, Religious Studies and Philosophy has no connection with the School’s Spiritual Life Program. The successful student in Religious Studies and Philosophy may be highly devout, or may have no individual religious inclinations at all: but he or she should emerge with more informed understanding of some aspect of the fundamental questions of human life and of the intellectual tools required for their consideration.

For more infomation about the Religious Studies and Philosphy Department, please contact Dr. Matthew Rinkevich, Chair of the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department, at mrinkevich@thehill.org.