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Why Study Theology at CSB & SJU?

Faculty members in our theology department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are committed to helping students understand religion as a fundamental part of human experience. Exploring how faith and reason combine to form life-orienting perspectives, our faculty join students in grappling with major questions about God, the world, and human existence. This is done in a variety of ways, especially through the critical examination of the sacred texts and values of the Catholic tradition, other Christian traditions, and other religions.

Program Overview

  • Theology is a vital part of a liberal arts education at CSB and SJU.  Our department’s courses foster analytical skills, critical and creative thinking, and the pursuit of wisdom while helping students understand the major role of religious faith in human history and civilizations. 
  • Focusing primarily on Catholic theology, especially as it is rooted in the Benedictine heritage, our department promotes ecumenical and interfaith learning, thereby promoting the cross-cultural understanding that is desperately needed in our pluralistic society and world.
  • Our department offers a wide array of courses on Sacred Scripture and varieties of Christian theology, as well as courses on Judaism, Islam, and other religions.
  • Our courses help students explore questions of ultimate concern and the many responses to these questions found in the Christian tradition and other religious traditions.
  • We give special attention in our courses to the theological dimensions of contemporary questions and issues.