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Messiah College, a Christian college in PA Admissions

Biblical and Religious Studies (B.A.)

Biblical and Religious Studies Major

School of the Humanities

Biblical and Religious Studies

Deepen your Christian commitment, interpret biblical texts responsibly, and minister to others with wisdom and compassion.

Messiah College’s flexible biblical and religious studies curriculum allows you to pursue electives in other departments, choose a double major, or even customize an individual major based on your personal career goals. By preparing you to interpret biblical texts responsibly and to reflect on religious beliefs and practices, you’ll acquire leadership skills that enable you to mature academically and spiritually, and to ultimately become an agent for reconciliation in church and society.

It is not surprising that students in this major are extremely successful in finding ministry-oriented employment and in gaining admission to prestigious graduate schools, law schools, and seminaries including Evangelical School of Theology, Villanova University, Duke Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, University of Notre Dame, Fuller Seminary, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.

As a biblical and religious studies major at Messiah College, you’ll be able to:
  • Study a wide range of courses on various aspects of biblical text including Pentateuch, historical books, poetical and wisdom literature, Gospels, Paul and His Letter, and Revelation.
  • Take an in-depth look at the main tenets of Christian theology
  • Learn about Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism.
  • Study world Christianity, including Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 
  • Pursue internships in local churches and community development organizations while studying at Messiah College’s Philadelphia Campus at Temple University or at the Religion and Society Center in Harrisburg.
  • Spend a semester—or two—off campus  at locations such as:
      • University of Marburg, Germany (theology and biblical studies),
      • Temple University, Philadelphia (world religions, religion in the United States),
      • Jerusalem University College (biblical studies, Judaism, Islam),
      • Cairo, Egypt -- Middle East Studies Program (Islam, inter-religious conflict and dialogue),
      • Oxford, England – Reformation history and theology
  • Join the Messiah Student Movement, a club that helps students across campus learn about vocations in ministry, or the Theology Club that meets regularly to read and discuss Christian theology.
  • Live and learn at the Reconciliation House, a student residence where students orient learning around issues of racial and cultural reconciliation.
  • Enjoy learning and socializing in one of the College’s state-of-the-art buildings, Boyer Hall, which includes 21st-century “smart” classrooms and an inviting student lounge.

 Concentrations in this Major:

      Minors


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      Biblical and Religious Studies Photo

      Wherever we find students in their journeys of faith, our goal is to work with them—pastorally, though also rigorously—to raise and answer the most crucial theological questions. Our modest hope is that each student will take steps toward developing a theological framework that is faithful to Scripture and conversant with the history of Christian theological reflection.

      Department of Biblical and Religious Studies