The Religion Department offers a range of popular courses that actively seek to decolonize the study of religion, including vantage points and peoples who have at times been excluded, whether in Brandon and the surrounding areas of our regional university in Western Manitoba, or in towns and cities around the world. Our course topics are diverse in region and scope, and also highlight the importance of diversity and having an open mind. As one faculty member likes to say, “Keep your mind open, but not so open that your brain falls out.” Religion Department faculty and their courses help students understand themselves and others in a global and increasingly digital world, honing cultural literacy, critical thinking, and community engagement while also providing the tools and skills needed to tackle the challenges of the future: see list of potential careers below.

You will have an opportunity to explore:

• Religion, spirituality, secularism and nonreligion
• The history of select global religions
• Western/European theoretical models and Indigenous, Chinese, Afrocentric, feminist and queer ones
• Religious competition and marginalization in a secularized world
• Intersections among religion, politics, and AI
• The relationship between religion and gender and sexuality
• The relationship between religion and food, animals, and ecology

• In-depth investigation of specific religious communities and practices

Our courses are diverse in region and scope. Religion Department faculty and their courses help students understand their place in a global and increasingly digital world, honing skills in cultural literacy, critical thinking, and community engagement while also providing the tools needed for future careers (see below for a list of careers).