News Release

UNC launches new minor
in Christianity and culture

CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched an interdisciplinary, academic minor in the study of Christianity and culture, thought to be the nation’s first at a public university.

The undergraduate course offerings, based in the College of Arts and Sciences, are aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of Christian traditions and their varied influences on culture and society throughout history.

"No other public university in the nation offers such a program, to our knowledge," said Dr. Christian Smith, UNC Stuart Chapin distinguished professor of sociology and co-director of the minor. "Our curriculum is designed not to influence or change students’ religious faith or practice, but to enhance their knowledge of the role of Christianity over time in the context of art, classics, literature, history, philosophy, politics and sociology."

Beginning this semester, undergraduates may enroll in the minor as a secondary field of study. To complete the minor, they must take five courses from more than 40 offerings, including an introductory survey course; a course in ancient, medieval or early modern Christianity; and a course on Christianity in the modern world.

Classes must be taken from at least two different departments. Students may seek permission to count other relevant classes, independent study and study abroad experiences to fulfill the requirements.

"Through the minor, students should gain both a critical and appreciative overview of the beliefs, history, expressions and influences of Christianity and Christian peoples," Smith said. "This will add to our related programs, including the Jewish studies minor and the Middle East studies concentration, which facilitate study of the role and history of other religions."

Associated with the new minor is a Distinguished Speaker Series, which will bring six renowned scholars to campus each year to speak on topics related to the impact of Christianity on society and society on Christianity.

Speakers for the 2005-2006 academic year will address topics including the complex relationship between religion and science, connections between U.S. evangelicals and global politics and ways European Christianity differs from Christianity in the United States. All speeches will be free and open to the public.

The curriculum draws on the strengths of UNC faculty in many disciplines, including the following:

Dr. Christian Smith, co-director (sociology): He led the first comprehensive study of the influence of religion on youth in the United States. His books include "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers" (Oxford University Press, 2005).

Dr. Peter Iver Kaufman, co-director (religious studies): A historical theologian, he has written extensively about patristic, medieval and reformation Christianity and the relationship between church and state. His six books include "Thinking of the Laity in Late Tudor England" (University of Notre Dame Press, 2004).

Dr. Carolyn Connor (classics): She specializes in the study of middle-Byzantine church decoration, monasticism and architecture. She combines and synthesizes perspectives based on artistic and archaeological evidence, historical accounts, literary works and religious beliefs.

Dr. Bart Ehrman (religious studies): A widely recognized expert on early Christianity and the New Testament, he has written a college-level textbook on the New Testament, two anthologies of early Christian writings, a study of the historical Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet, two books on the "lost Gospels" and another on the truth and fiction behind the best-seller "The DaVinci Code."

Dr. Jaroslav Folda (art history): A scholar of the art of the high middle ages in Europe and the Mediterranean world, he focuses on art in historic context, including manuscript illumination, icons, panel paintings and sculptures from the 11^th to 15th centuries. His recent book is "Crusader Art in the Holy Land, From the Third Crusade to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291" (Cambridge University Press, 2005).

Dr. Michael Lienesch (political science): A scholar of early American political thought, he recently has focused on the role of religion in political development, studying early fundamentalism, the Scopes trial, the anti-evolution movement and creationism.

Dr. Warren Nord (philosophy): Working at the intersection of the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of education, he has written many articles, book chapters and the books "Religion and American Education: Rethinking a National Dilemma" (UNC Press, 1995) and "Taking Religion Seriously Across the Curriculum" (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998).

Dr. Dorothy Verkerk (art history): Her research interests include the interplay between images and texts in early medieval manuscripts. She also has studied Irish high crosses and the iconography found in early Christian catacombs and sarcophagi.

For more information about the new minor and speaker series, visit the program’s Web site, www.christianityculture.unc.edu.

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Religious studies contacts: Dr. Christian Smith, (919) 962-4524, or Dr. Peter Kaufman, (919) 962-9487
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339
News Services contacts: Print, L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589; broadcast, Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595