Welcome to the Department of Religious Studies, the academic center for the interdisciplinary study of religion at the University of Pittsburgh.

Teaching and research encompass anthropology, history, literature, medicine, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.  We are committed to a non-sectarian approach to religion as a phenomenon of human history, culture, and society. We are attentive to the intersection of religion with race, class, ethnicity, nationality, (dis)ability, gender, and sexuality.

We teach students to examine beliefs and practices through various sources of evidence:  texts, films, art, architecture, material culture, music, performances, and rituals.  We strive to enhance students’ ability to fully participate in local, national, and global contexts as culturally literate citizens and compassionate professionals. Through the study of the ways that diverse individuals and groups have found purpose and value, we offer an academic opportunity for students to engage with life’s most pressing questions.