Where are you these days and what are you
doing?
I am currently a
Master of Theological Studies candidate at Harvard Divinity School in
Cambridge, MA. I graduated from DePaul in 2013 with a BA in Religious Studies
and Islamic World Studies.
Between my
undergraduate studies at DePaul and my graduate studies at Harvard, I wanted to contextualize my academic studies with international experience. I pursued
language study and ethnographic research in Amman, Jordan and Dharamsala,
India, received a Russell Berrie Fellowship to study Catholic-Jewish dialogue at
the Angelicum in Rome, and studied Sufi saint veneration in Morocco through a
Fulbright US student research grant. I started my graduate studies at Harvard
in 2017.
I’m interested in
studying the history of the Mughal Empire, particularly by looking at textual
transmission from Sanskrit into Persian and Arabic. I’m broadly interested in
questions interreligious engagement, aesthetics, historiography, and
comparative philosophy and literature, topics I began to explore while a
religious studies major at DePaul. I intend to pursue doctoral research in the
field of Religious Studies.
What do you
most like about what you are doing?
As I’m still a
university student, I’m not having a very different experience than many DePaul
undergraduate students! I am perhaps a little further along in my journey,
where I’ve narrowed in on a specific career path and a topic of interest.
As a graduate
student, I enjoy the opportunity to take ideas seriously and to shape my ideas
in conversation with peers, mentors, and other students. As a graduate student,
I develop close and intimate relationships with faculty advisors - the gap
between teacher and students seems much less intimidating as a graduate student
than as an undergraduate student. I enjoy the freedom to explore and tackle a
range of ideas and to become a more serious member and contributor to the field
of Religious Studies.
I also enjoy the
many opportunities available to conduct international research and language
development. As a Religious Studies student, I found learning modern and
classical languages important for my research. There are many options available
to pursue language study and research such as Critical Language Scholarships,
Fulbright grants, Boren Fellowships, and school-specific scholarships. It’s a
time consuming process to research all the opportunities available, and many
applications are unsuccessful, but the reward is often well worth the effort.
What would you
say to a student who was considering a major or minor in Religious Studies about
why this is important in today’s world/ in your work?
Religious studies
is a broad, challenging, and rewarding field that does not often get the credit
it deserves. Religious studies considers, in a meaningful yet critical
way, the “big questions” - human experiences of transcendence, belonging, and
community. Religious Studies can incorporate approaches and insights from
fields as diverse as philosophy, art history, literature, statistics, and
biology.
Religious
narratives also permeate our societies, cultures, and histories. The
cultivation of “religious literacy” - a general understanding of basic elements
of diverse religious world views - is sorely lacking need in our time. Students
and scholars of religious studies can help in promoting religious literacy in a
variety of sectors, from government and business to media and hospitality
management.
Religious studies
may or may not lead you directly into a big accounting firm after graduation,
but it will certainly prepare you to be a serious student of life for the rest
of your life - the goal of any real and meaningful education.
I’m happy to help
students navigate post-graduation experiences. Please find my profile on the
DePaul ASK network.
https://www.depaulasknetwork.com/profile/peterdziedzic
Luke Burrows
Where are you these days and what are you doing?
I am currently working as a Primary Education volunteer for
the Peace Corps in Lesotho, a small yet spectacular country in southern Africa.
I teach English and Life Skills (sex ed. combined with a mess of other
important things) to children ages 6-12.
What do you most like about your work?
While I am still early on in my tenure with the Peace Corps
as I write this, I have already found a deep appreciation for the unpredictable
nature of my job. I am repeatedly forced into new and challenging situations.
Every day is unique and wholly special because of this. It is true what they
say about Peace Corps service: it is the hardest job you'll ever love!
What would you say to a student who was considering a
major or minor in Religious Studies about why this is important in today’s
world/ in your work?
If you are currently an "undecided"
major, as many freshmen and explorative sophomores typically are, declare
religious studies, or at least sign up for an REL class or two. Even if you
decide that the major isn't for you, I can nearly guarantee that the class will
spur some hidden interest. My experience with religious studies was riveting
because of the content of the classes, but it was intellectually formative due
to the classes' very nature. Religious studies majors study worldviews. This
means we are constantly introduced to new and often foreign ways of thinking.
Philosophy was too stuffy and informational for me, and history classes often
left me yearning a greater connection to the people I studied. Religious
studies is that impossible balance. The field builds analytical skills with the
calculative lens of a social scientist, yet it handles the subject matter with
the sensitivity and understanding of a social worker. Every day of my life
after DePaul, I find myself applying this skill set to daily interactions. How
would this culture view something I take for granted in my own? What happened
in this person's history to form the ideology they hold to now? How can I
better check my own epistemological worldview? Who are my own communities of
accountability? These questions come to mind so readily because of my REL
degree. If you are undecided and are looking for a path that is as fulfilling
as it is important for a society that all too quickly disregards cultural and
religious literacy, try out an REL class or two. It will lead to something
phenomenal.