Understanding Islam, Understanding More of the World

The recent uprisings in Muslim countries in North Africa and the Middle East have drawn keen interest from the U.S. government and, in some cases, intervention. It just goes to show that relations with that part of the world have become a political priority, and that it is increasingly important to understand the variety of beliefs that make up the Muslim world.
Young people want to know more about one of the world’s major religions
American college students have demonstrated growing interest in Islam – USA Today recently reported a trend of U.S. colleges hiring full-time Muslim chaplains to serve alongside the Christian and Jewish chaplains in place at many universities. Partly this is to accommodate the growing Muslim student body. The Pew Research Center estimates that there are 2.6 million Muslims in the United States — a number it says will grow to 6.2 million by 2030 because of immigration and high birth rates. An equally compelling motive, though, is non-Muslims’ increasing curiosity about Islam since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and their aftermath, which highlighted the need for better understanding of one of the world’s major religions.

"I don't necessarily only cater to the Muslim students," Tahera Ahmad, the Muslim chaplain at Northwestern University, told USA Today. "I've had more non-Muslim students go through my office than Muslim students. I serve the larger campus community."

There are other indications of American students’ growing interest in the Muslim world. The number of American students studying in the Middle East increased by 9.2 percent in 2009-2010 from the previous academic year, the Institute of International Education reported in December. That same month, the Modern Language Association reported that Arabic had become the fastest-growing foreign language for U.S. university study, with a more than 46% growth in enrollment between 2006 and 2009. That came on the heels of a 127% leap in Arabic study enrollment between 2002 and 2006.
The youthful face of the popular uprisings that have swept from Tunisia to Syria may also resonate with American students today. After all, the MLA notes that enrollment in French classes reached an all-time high in America in 1968, the year that student protests helped bring the French government to its knees.
What can you do with a degree in religious studies?
In a world of diverse faiths and tightening geopolitical relationships, it seems pretty likely that expertise in religious studies would be valuable – and versatile. Like other liberal arts programs, religious studies are not just about getting a degree, but also about enriching one’s knowledge of the world. It teaches critical thinking skills, and how to research and present ideas. Students examine human religious traditions and their effect on culture and society by studying the history, texts, and practices of major and minor religions.
“Rather than teaching a religion from the standpoint of a believer,” explains the North Carolina State University website, “Religious Studies approaches these complicated traditions of beliefs and practices in the same way as a political theorist regards systems of governance or a literary critic reads canonical literature: that is, we do not attempt to assess the ‘truth’  or the merits of particular religions, but instead seek to understand how they have come about, what they are made of, what their practitioners do, and how they affect culture and society.”
 With a background like this, one can go one to do just about anything. Religious studies offer excellent preparation for a career in law, business, public service, or education. Many students choose to combine it with another major or minor, or to pursue graduate studies.