I have a lot of questions about Christianity. What degree program should I take to learn about it.?

Question

I am interested in going to college to study religions, specifically Christianity. What colleges offer this type of program?

Answer 1

I would suggest that you look into the study of religion, which is sometimes called "Religious Studies," or "Comparative Religion," or "History of Religions." Hundreds of colleges and universities in the US have these majors.

Religiously affiliated colleges and universities will have majors in Theology, which is the study of Christianity in particular, however, these institutions will teach Christian history and doctrine from their own particular perspectives (Catholic, or Lutheran, or Seventh-Day Adventist, or whatever).

Unless you wish to remain within a particular Christian denominational perspective during your study, I strongly suggest that you attend a non-religiously affiliated college or university (public or private does not matter) where you must study religion from a non-denominational perspective. At non-religiously affiliated institutions, you will also have many opportunities (and sometimes even requirements) to study religions other than Christianity. I advocate this because I am an historian of religions myself, and one of the founders of this discipline, Max Muller, is famous for saying that "he who knows only one, knows none." By this he meant that in order to study religion well, one must become knowledgeable about more than just one religious tradition.

Some of the most prestigious programs in religious studies in the US are:

University of Chicago
University of California at Santa Barbara
Syracuse University
Princeton University
Harvard University
Yale University
Florida State University
University of Missouri at Columbia
Boston University
Duke University
University of North Carolina, Greenville
Miami University in Ohio
Columbia University
Arizona State University
Kansas State University
Vanderbilt University
University of Toronto

All of the above institutions also offer graduate programs in religious studies. There are hundreds more undergraduate-only institutions with outstanding programs in religion, including Vassar, Barnard, Franklin and Marshall, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Macalester, Stanford, and I could go on and on.

If you are seeking a religiously affiliated institution, two of the best Catholic ones are Notre Dame and Boston College. I could go on and on through Lutheran colleges, Methodist colleges, etc., but I think I'll stop here. Post another question if you need more info.

Best wishes!

Answer 2

Theology would be the study of religions. A theology program would, generally cover all major religions. If you go to a private Christian college, there will likely be a theology program with an emphasis on Christianity.

Answer 3

Do a search for theology programs at schools. There are quite a few, so you might want to consider schools in your area. You could also get a lot of information from local clergy. Visit churches in your area and speak to the clergymen there. They would be more than happy to answer questions.