Religion and Public Life

At Carleton, an MA in Religion and Public Life means critical engagement with religion in particular social, cultural and political settings. Regardless of our own diverse backgrounds, as global citizens in the 21^stcentury we all encounter religion on a regular basis. The MA in Religion and Public Life is an opportunity to pose and address the most critical such questions in a modern academic setting, a place specially established to afford academic resources and freedoms necessary to carry out such work. In both core and elective seminars master’s students explore both critical methods in Religious Studies, as well as exemplary cases of “religion” in relation to “public life” drawn from antiquity to the present. In a “major research essay” each master’s candidate will pursue their own research interests, under the guidance of a faculty expert – a capstone experience to the MA in Religion and Public Life.

This degree is designed as a springboard for pursuing or advancing careers in public policy, community and cultural organizations, and public service. Recent graduates have also gone on to further studies in such fields as Anthropology, Biblical Studies, Canadian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Islamic Studies, and Religious Studies, both in Canada and abroad.

Other Opportunities

Two affiliated research centres, The Max and Tessie Zelikovitz Centre for Jewish Studies and the Carleton Centre for the Study of Islam work closely with the national capital’s religious communities, building relationships that extend around the world. The presences of diplomatic missions and non-governmental institutions in the capital provide unique opportunities for research, educational partnerships and career developement.

• Why do some people consider religion a private concern, while others treat it as a public duty?
• To what extent does religion shape attitudes towards economy, politics or environment?
• Is the political significance of “reconciliation” linked to religious traditions?
• Does religion still determine shared moral values or legal norms?
• How or why do “faith based social services” exist in modern democratic states?
• What is the influence of religion on common beliefs about gender and sexuality?
• Are religions particularly prone to communal or interpersonal violence?
• How are religious ideas communicated within and between societies or cultures?

In the MA in Religion and Public Life students work as part of a small cohort for two full terms, acquiring the practical skills of group work at the highest level. During the third term MA candidates also learn what it takes to conduct sustained research on narrowly defined topic, on their own. While the MA in Religion and Public Life was not designed specifically as a pathway to further academic study, some of our graduates have gone on to doctoral studies in such fields as Anthropology, Canadian Studies, Religious Studies, and Indigenous Studies. Many of our graduates have also gone on to professional careers in education, law, and governmental and non-governmental agencies.