Religion

Study Abroad

The Religion Department led a trip to Berlin in 2007. Students compared and contrasted the various explanations of why the Holocaust happened, from both religious and social science perspectives, and assessed the influence of the Holocaust on modern Jewish and Christian thought.

Students studying religion at Carthage have ample opportunity to study outside the United States during J-Term or for a semester. Students receive religion credit for many of these off-campus activities.

Spend a month excavating an ancient Roman temple in northern Israel, or spend a January examining religious myth and political vision in theater in Berlin. Students have studied in Greece, Guatemala and the Himalayas. Current programs are offered in India, the Mediterranean and Germany.

Current Study Tours

Religion Department faculty are currently planning J-Term study tours for 2010. Click on each trip for more information.

Berlin Theatre: Religious Myth & Political Vision. The Religion Department offers this study tour for January 2010. Students will explore the vibrant and varied theater culture in Germany's glamorous, ultra-modern capital by attending at least six stage performances and watching films. Students will also have the opportunity to view Berlin's tourist destinations, as well as Weimar, Wittenberg and Dresden.

Archaeology at Omrit. Every summer Carthage students have the opportunity to study religion and archaeology while working to excavate Omrit, an ancient site in northern Israel. Students spend 4-5 weeks working on the dig, and also swim in the Galilee, visit Jerusalem, and see several other famous and historical sites.

Religion and Society in Modern India. In this J-Term 2010 study tour, students will encounter three contemporary Indian religious communities: Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. The course will examine the life and interactions of these groups and students will visit five cities in northern India including Dehli, Agra and Amritsar. See a slideshow of photographs from previous trips.

Past Study Tours

The following trips were offered as J-Term study tours through the Religion Department in previous years. Click on each trip to learn more and see photographs.

The Himalayas. Students explored the religion and geography of the Himalayan region. It was taught by Religion Professor James Lochtefeld and Geography Professor Matt Zorn. For Hindus, the Himalayas are literally the "land of the gods" and are widely considered to be the holiest place on Earth. Students visited many important pilgrimage sites. See a slideshow of photographs from previous trips.

Berlin and the Holocaust. Students traveled to Berlin to explore the roles Christians played in both facilitating and resisting the Holocaust, learn about the various groups targeted by the Nazis, and consider the influence of the Holocaust on modern Jewish and Christian thought.

East Meets West: Cultural Contact and Contrasts in Northern Greece and Turkey. This study tour focused on northern Greece and the western coast of Turkey as well as Istanbul.

Guatemala: Religion and Social Justice. Students explored liberation theology in the struggle for social justice in Central America. Students received an intense exposure to contemporary Guatemalan culture, and got a much clearer idea of what it means to live at or near the global median wage than can be gleaned from economic statistics.

Academic Resources

Prospective Students

Faculty Spotlight

Religion Professor James Lochtefeld brings Indian culture to life in photography show. Read more.

J-Term in Israel

Unearthing the Past. Annual study tour in northern Israel transforms Carthage undergrads into archaeologists.

J-Term in India

See a slideshow of photographs from Religion J-Term trips to India and The Himalayas.