by Jane Terry

Given the evidence that a person’s religious beliefs and practices, as well as their spiritual and emotional well-being, are integral to their physical health, the Department of Religious Studies at Missouri State University, funded in part by a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning, has created new courses that directly benefit students (and professionals) in the health care fields, e.g., nursing, physical therapy, gerontology, counseling, audiology, pre-medicine, etc.  Many undergraduate students also discover that a knowledge of religious diversity is extremely useful for them in their future careers in any field, but especially working in the health care fields.

Besides our present courses, such as:

REL 347, Suffering and Meaning,
REL 771, Women, Violence, and Religion,
REL 338, Death, Dying, and Afterlife,
REL 358, Yoga and Meditation,

our new upcoming courses include:

REL 348, Religion, Spirituality, and Health (in Spring 2017, this is an Honors course, UHC 397-997)

REL 397-001, Health and the Body in American Religions (Spring 2017)

REL 397-899, Religion and Healing in Modern America (Summer 2017 online course)

We also offer internships (REL 499), such as working with the local office of Missouri Health Care for All or working in a nursing home.

To find out more, visit the Religious Studies website or contact Dr. Stephen Berkwitz or Dr. John Schmalzbauer.