Religion and the Arts

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course surveys key themes in religion and the arts across histories and cultures, examining how creative processes contribute to personal and shared growth at physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels. As part of the pilot program “Waymarks Toward Reunion,” funded by the Creative Arts Collective for Christian Life & Faith, the course reawakens imagination through beauty, contemplative practice, and theological reflection. Students will trace the evolution of spiritual and artistic traditions from Pre-Axial to Second Axial periods, engaging deeply with interfaith perspectives. All students will create an original artwork supported by scholarly analysis, exploring art as a pedagogy of freedom and discernment. The course will support one Student Fellow who will receive enhanced mentorship, designated research time, and a leadership role in the end-of-semester Capstone Symposium.