The Department of Cultural Studies prepares students to serve in faith-based organizations & social service agencies in settings across the globe. Students study human cultural diversity in a holistic perspective and learn practical skills that allow them to work with people of various cultural and social backgrounds in diverse contexts and in situations that rely heavily on intercultural communication.
Today’s society is culturally and demographically more diverse than ever. The Christian message is always embedded in particular cultural and historical contexts and in order to be communicated effectively it needs to be “translated” into the notions and perspectives of those who may receive it. The goal of anthropological knowledge is to build bridges of understanding between cultures. By looking at people’s ideas about time, space, family and kinship, economy, sustenance, politics and power, healing and health, art, play, and religion, graduates are able to understand differences and similarities between human beings as they have been created by God. This understanding is essential to meeting people as Christ did: in their own environs and circumstances.
Concentrations consist of 4 or 5 courses (12 or 15 credit hours) that are offered by departments that are attached to majors in various schools and colleges with related programs. Tracks consist of 6 to 9 courses (18 to 27 credit hours) that are considered a part of the major to which they are attached.