The ways we interact with the natural world reflect the deep-seated values of the society to which we belong and the experiences of nature we have as individuals. Religion, and the spiritual experiences of individuals that inform religious thought, provide profound insights into how we perceive the world around us and guidance as to how to interact with it. The minor in religion and environment encourages students to integrate religious insights and spiritual experience with the natural and social sciences to better understand how religion and the natural world affect one another. Accordingly, the minor includes coursework in natural and social environmental science along with coursework in religion. Because the minor encourages students to reflect on their own spiritual experience and beliefs as they relate to the environment, it culminates in a capstone experiential course involving environmentally related service or action along with reflection on the meaning of that engagement.

The minor is offered by interdisciplinary faculty in conjunction with the environmental studies program and the Center for Religion and Environment. It is administered by Emeritus Professor Robin Gottfried, Director.

Requirements for the Minor in Religion and Environment

The minor requires successful completion of the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
Course Requirements
ENST 101	Introduction to Environmental Studies	4
ENST 431	Practicum in Religion and Environment	2
PHIL 230	Environmental Ethics	4
Select two of the following:		8
RELG 305	Religion and Animals
RELG 307	Religious Environmentalism
RELG 341	Religion and Ecology
RELG 350	Field Methods in Religious Studies
RELG 353	Buddhism and the Environment
RELG 393	Rural Religion
THEO 360	Creation, Evolution and God (three semester hours)
Select one of the following:		4
ARCH 332	Archaeological Resource Management and Policy
BIOL 105	Biology and People
BIOL 107	People and the Environment
BIOL 130	Field Investigations in Biology (Field-Based)
CHEM 120	General Chemistry (Lab)
ECON/POLS 381	The Political Economy of Sustainable Development
ENST 336	Environmental Land-Use Policy
FORS 121	Introduction to Forestry (Lab)
FORS 201	Natural Resources Issues and Policies
FORS 270	Water Resource Policy and Law
GEOL 121	Physical Geology (Lab)
GEOL 235	Earth Systems and Climate Change
PHYS 105	Energy and the Environment
Total Semester Hours		22