Department of Traditional Religious Studies
The goal of this department is to provide individuals committed to a traditional faith with an opportunity to deepen their scholarly and religious experience through coursework and internship. Individuals may pursue a focus specifically on their religion or pursue an interreligious degree. Each tradition emphasizes an ecocentric reinterpretation, whereby Nature serves to illuminate actively the presence of the Divine. OSC has launched a rich online monastic-based program in Mysticism, entitled Contemplative Studies. Students within this program become part of a monastic order of the Grotto of Sacred Naturalism and spend several times a day in prayer and contemplation. Finally this department provides required coursework on research modalities for students working on their dissertations.
Interreligious Studies
As the world shrinks through increasing technological and economic linkages, it is critical that there are individuals who are capable of engage in in interreligious discourse, as well as to become leaders in supporting the spirituality of multi-faith families. Students who opt into this program of study examine just those specific issues: religion in a divorce world; multifaith families and communities; and fostering dialogue among religions. Students may opt for formal ministerial training or focus their work on scholarship.
Christianity
Our non-demonimational Christian program of study is designed to ground the prospective scholor or minister in the history, current scholarship, theological challenges and resolutions, and praxis of Christianity from a wide range of denominational perspectives. This program is designed to support the Christian minister and scholar who seeks to come to a rich and diverse perspective of Christianity and its role in supporting the community.
Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism
These programs are designed to provide scholastic grounding for the individual who wishes to explore these faiths at higher levels of education. They are presently non-minsterial.
Feminist Theology
This is a rich program that includes masters and doctoral levels of academic study exploring how women are located in religion and the art of feminist theology. Students are grounded in a multi-faith perspective of the situation of women in global religions and explore specific topics and concerns of feminists. OSC is proud to be one of the few institutions with a dedicated program specific to feminist theology and not as a handful of courses as outgrowths of other religious perspectives.
Theology & Religious Philosophy
Students may opt to study philosophy or theology within this program. This is designed to support current ministers or academics wishing to strengthen their knowledge of the range of thought on religion--how we think about religion and how we understand "God".
Contemplative Studies
A unique program that is designed to support a monastic experience for students exploring spirituality and faith. Students learn about mysticism within an interreligious perspective and participate within a monastic online community of OSC. This is a new program and one we are experimenting with.
