Program overview
Religious studies isn't about converting you to a faith—it's about studying religion academically. You'll learn about the history, scriptures, rituals, and ideas of major world religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, etc.), and also dive into theoretical tools like philosophy of religion, sociology of religion, and anthropology of religion. Core courses include Introduction to Religious Studies, Philosophy of Religion, World Religious History, Topics in Chinese Religion, and Religion and Society. Chinese universities have unique strengths in Buddhist and Taoist studies—for example, Peking University, Sichuan University, and Fudan University all have strong religious studies departments where you can access primary sources and fieldwork opportunities. This major is perfect for curious, thoughtful students who are sensitive to cultural diversity—if you often wonder "Why do people need faith?" or "How do different civilizations dialogue?", this is the right place.