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Honors Program

The religion department recognizes those students who demonstrate excellence in their studies and complete an honors thesis in the department.

Earning Honors

Students may earn honors recognition in religion or in philosophy and religion through the demonstration of excellence throughout their coursework and with the completion of an honors thesis.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

All candidates for honors are required to have a GPA of 3.40 in their major.

Honors Thesis

The honors thesis is a substantial piece of research, analysis, or critique completed under the guidance of a faculty adviser. The department awards honors on the basis of both the quality of the students’ written theses and their conduct of the honors defense.

Jenna Eisenmann '25

“Sourdough and Syntax: The Belief System, Rhetoric, and Aesthetics of the Traditionalist Catholic Movement for Women”

Advisor: Chris Vecsey

Download Jenna's thesis (PDF) View Jenna's thesis (PDF)

Taylor Tobias '25

“The Politics of Hair: Challenging the Colonial Legacy of Hair Codes and Defending Diné Hair Sovereignty”

Advisor: Chris Vecsey

Download Taylor's thesis (PDF) View Taylor's thesis (PDF)

K2 Dickens '25

“Mama, I’m Tired: A Black Religious Ethic of Rest”

Advisor: Jessica Davenport

Download K2's thesis (PDF) View K2's thesis (PDF)

Cate Hughes '24;

“Reagan’s Rhetoric of Racial Prejudice: How White Supremacy Fueled Evangelical Christians’ Political and Cultural Motivations and Mobilizations”

Advisor: Jenna Reinbold

Download Cate's thesis (PDF) View Cate's thesis (PDF)

Rodney Agnant '14, MA '23

“Uncovering the Religious Dimensions of Leadership and Leadership Development”

Advisor: Chris Vecsey

Download Rodney's thesis (PDF) View Rodney's thesis (PDF)

Caroline Strom '23;

“Evil and ‘the Other’ : Levinas on the End of Theodicy”

Advisor: Benjamin (Ben) Stahlberg

Download Caroline's thesis (PDF) View Caroline's thesis (PDF)

Yuqi (Angela) Zheng’23

“Chinese Ultimate Values and the Concept of Wealth”

Advisor: Harvey Sindima

Download Angela's thesis (PDF) View Angela's thesis (PDF)

Eli Hearne

“The Monopoly on Judaism in Israel: Limits to Achieving Jewish Pluralism”

Download Eli's thesis (PDF) View Eli's thesis (PDF)

Virginia Irby, MA

“The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: A Discursive Analysis of George W. Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiativee”

Advisor: Megan Abbas

Download Virginia's thesis (PDF) View Virginia's thesis (PDF)

Camden Koch

“Religion, Identity, and Tolerance: A historical analysis of the clash between Uyghurs and the CCP”

Advisor: Brenton Sullivan

Download Camden's thesis (PDF) View Camden's thesis (PDF)

Liana Escue

“The Year of Jubilee: From Asceticism to Jubilation in Contemporary Christianity”

Advisor: Steven Kepnes

Download Liana's thesis (PDF) View Liana's thesis (PDF)

Caroline Simon

“The Bible and Vision of the Evangelical Left”

Advisor: Jenna Reinbold

Download Caroline's thesis (PDF) View Caroline's thesis (PDF)

Hannah Bailey

“That Might Be Marriage, but This Is Not: Looking at the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Through the Lens of Interracial Marriage”

Advisor: Jenna Reinbold