Image of the College Hall belltower as seen through tree branches with blooming spring flowers.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement:

The Department of Religion at Montclair State University aims to be a model of innovative pedagogy, intellectual rigor, interdisciplinary research, and public scholarship.  The religious and cultural diversity of Montclair State and, more broadly, the greater New Jersey/New York metro region, combined with faculty expertise in a wide range of the world’s religions, uniquely situates us to be pathbreakers in the study of interreligious exchange.  We provide opportunities for students and community members alike to think deeply and speak respectfully about religious identities, experiences, and cultural differences.

We do this by offering:

  • A curriculum that focuses on world religions in their social and cultural contexts
  • Teaching excellence in multiple modalities, both in general education courses and in electives open to all students who wish to learn about religion at any level
  • Superior advising and mentoring, and provision of fieldwork and internship opportunities for our students
  • Interdisciplinary and collaborative research that produces times and engaging scholarship in religion
  • Programs and events that reach students, the campus community, alumni, the public, and scholars of religion throughout the region