As a student at SJC Long Island, Allison Waka took “Encountering God in Faith,” thinking she would get one of the College’s religious studies core requirements out of the way. Instead, what she found was a passion that would fuel her future career.
“It spurred an interest in the subject for me that continued throughout my years in college,” said the 2012 graduate, who now teaches theology at Sacred Heart Academy. “I believe it was what some people would call divine providence. There was a reason why I continued taking (religious studies courses), more than just the desire to learn the information. I felt it was something I loved, something I’m meant to do.”
Her story is just one of many about the positive impacts of studying religion at St. Joseph’s College.
Creating Connections
While working as an optometric technician, Ramal Yaqoob ’18, who minored in religious studies at SJC Brooklyn, had a Jewish patient who wasn’t very fluent in English. Yaqoob wanted to engage in a conversation with her, and decided to apply what she learned in her religious studies courses.
“I started talking about how she practices, and she felt comfortable knowing that I knew something about her religion,” said Yaqoob, who comes from a Muslim background. “She told me that she was afraid at first that I was going to judge her because of the way she was dressed or how she was talking to me, but we were able to connect because of the classes I took at St. Joseph’s.
“Media makes it seem like we’re so different, but we share a lot of similarities,” she added.
Falling in Love with Religion Again
It took just one course, “Belief and Unbelief in the Modern World” at SJC Long Island, for Megan Lavery to be hooked on religious studies.
“I feel like the course began as a starting point for me, where I felt I was finally able to question things,” she said. “From there, I just fell in love with the whole idea of religion, especially all the different types there are in the world and what people really believe.”
After taking that first course, Lavery knew she wanted to major in religious studies.
“Sometimes we’re so focused on success and going to school and getting good grades, and buying a house or an apartment and starting a family, and the program brings you back down to what’s really important, and that’s relationships with other people,” she said. “Getting to understand someone else’s faith, and getting to see why they believe what they believe, that shows your respect for that individual. If you’re willing to listen to them and see how they view the world and their perspective, that shows your connection to human beings. And I think that’s really what the program does — it brings us back to connecting with people the way God intends for us to do.”
Lavery received a B.A. in Religious Studies and Philosophy in 2016, and she now helps other young women grow and understand their faith while teaching religion at Sacred Heart Academy.
A New Perspective
St. Joseph’s new lecturer of religious studies, Jason Steidl, Ph.D., studies what resources there are for liberation within the Catholic tradition, seeing how communities marginalized by society and the church, such as the Latinx and LGBTQ communities, use their faith to challenge and transform both society and church.
“I see religion as being a resource — for believers and nonbelievers alike — for service and justice in this world,” Dr. Steidl said. “I think that sometimes religion gets a bad rap for being oppressive, for holding people back. And that’s certainly true, but it’s also done a world of good for those seeking to advance civil rights.
“I think of people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez,” he continued. “I think of the way theologians have reimagined religion in wake of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. and around the world, or the way that LGBTQ people use religion to advance their cause both within society and the church. To imagine what faith can look like when it’s a tool for liberation and not necessarily for oppression. When it’s moving conversations forward and affirming human dignity, rather than denying rights and denying the goodness of people created in the image of God.”
Finding Your Perfect Religious Studies Match
There are many different ways to incorporate religious studies into your degree from St. Joseph’s College. Below are the different options available at both campuses:
- Religious Studies Major
- Religious Studies Minor
- Peace and Justice Studies Minor
- Mindfulness and Contemplative Living Minor
- Certificate in Religious Studies
- Religious Studies Minor
- Peace and Justice Studies Minor
- Mindfulness and Contemplative Living Minor
- Certificate in Religious Studies
