The Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University offers courses and programs in the distinct disciplines of Religious Studies, Theology, and Philosophy. All three of these disciplines ask and engage deep questions about the meaning, purpose, and reality of life for individuals and for communities.
The Department of Religion and Philosophy affirms that human inquiry regarding basic religious, theological, philosophical, and ethical questions shapes public life. In a similar way, public life shapes the human quest for meaning and identity. The Religion and Philosophy programs at Augsburg think historically, respectfully, and critically about these matters.
The Department of Religion and Philosophy grounds, provokes, empowers, problematizes, collaborates, and nurtures the critical investigation of Faith, Religion, Identity, Ethics, Vocation, Truth (epistemology), and Spiritual Inquiry. We do this critical work as a community of learners, faculty and students together, in the following ways:
We ground our conversations in sacred texts, historic documents, and contemporary writings as well as in specific locations, among real people, with lived experiences and concrete issues.
We provoke questions of truth, meaning, and identity and investigate how these claims interact with and inform public life.
We empower one another to question our own beliefs, practices, ethics, and understanding of vocation, and to inquire, respectfully and critically, about the claims of others.
We problematize and challenge religious and philosophical claims from a variety of social locations and diverse perspectives.
We collaborate across faiths and philosophies, across academic departments, and with off-campus faith-based and humanist communities to create learning, research, and service opportunities.
We nurture our community of learners by raising and reflecting on personal questions of meaning, identity, values, vocation, and spirituality.