In 2001, faculty in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters at the University of Michigan-Dearborn established a Center for the Study of Religion and Society. This innovative and unique Center was designed to serve a number of purposes:

• Provide a focus for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scholarly research on Religion and its relationship to American society.
• House and support the existing interdisciplinary minor in Religious Studies.
• Coordinate with other activities on campus related to religion, the Harvard Pluralism Project being one example.
• Serve as a point of contact for members of the larger community interested in Issues related to religion and will engage the larger community in a dialog about these issues.

 

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is a part of and serves a religiously diverse metropolitan area. The region, consisting of 5.2 million residents, mostly in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse in the nation, and has a history of religious centers dating to 1701. Since the establishment of this first place of worship, Ste. Anne de Detroit Roman Catholic Church, Southeastern Michigan has become home to people of many faiths, including a wide array of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Janis, Buddhists, Baha'is, and others. Thus, the University of Michigan-Dearborn is in a unique position to study the interaction between society and religion in general and between society and religious diversity in particular.

Religion cannot be treated comprehensively within a typical disciplinary structure. The interdisciplinary nature of the religious study minor highlights another of the University of Michigan-Dearborn's strengths: its long history of success with interdisciplinary programs.

For more information about Center for the Study of Religion and Society, Please Contact:

Dr. Claude F Jacobs, Center Director Behavioral Sciences (Anthropology) 2038 CASL Building (313) 583-6329 Email: csrs_rs(at)umd.umich.edu