Fu Jen Catholic University Religious Studies

Aims 

　　Fu Jen Catholic University Department of Religious Studies upholds the tradition of imparting religious education through theory and practice, taking into consideration various theories of religion, religious traditions and experiences and through comparing and dialoging train the academic and practical abilities of students of religion and enrich those involved in life education and religious counseling.

 

Department Activities

I. Academic

1. Symposium

1.1. Annual Symposium: is held every year since 1999. The 14th annual symposium was held in the academic year 2012-13, with the theme ‘Religious view of body’.

1.2. Thanatology and Life Education Symposium: is held twice in a year since 2008, in association with Chinese Society for the Life and Death Studies. Seven symposiums are already held raising awareness and promoting research interest in Thanatology and Life education.

2. Academic Centers

2.1. Interreligious Dialogue Center: To promote and enhance research interest in the area of interreligious dialogue, the center in association with other like-minded religious organizations, organize workshops and lecture series on relevant academic topics.

2.2. Academic Center for Taoist Studies: holds conference of Taoism every year. So far there were four such conferences. Seminars and lecture series on Taoist classic books are held to promote academic interest and research in Taoism and to organize internal research results.

2.3. Academic Center for Taiwanese Folk Religions: holds ‘Traditional Chinese Customs and Culture ’ symposium every year. This center works in close collaboration with 弘道堂, Hong Kong.

3. International Exchange

3.1. Cross Strait Academic Forums and Workshops: Since 2007, Renmin University of China and Huaqiao University, China jointly organize ‘Cross-Strait Academic Forum and Workshop’ alternately held in Beijing, Quanzhou (or Xiamen) and in Taiwan. Scholarly papers are presented and published. In April, 2013, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan hoisted a workshop with the theme ‘Comparative religion and interreligious dialogue’.

3.2. Lectures by international scholars: Since 2005, renowned scholars from Canada, Japan, Europe, America and China Mainland are invited to give lectures and classes.

3.3. Cooperation with other catholic university religious study centers: In association with University of Notre Dame (America), Assumption University (Thailand) international Symposiums are held alternately in these countries.

4. Publications

Journals and Books:

Fu Jen Religious Studies (Biannual)

Fu Jen International Religious Studies (Annual Journal of collection of English articles).

Fu Jen Press in cooperation with Wu-Nan Book Inc. publishes ‘Fu Jen Religious Study Collection’ which includes ‘Interreligious Dialogue: Theory and Practice’, ‘Religious education: Theory, Current Situation and Prospects’, ‘Religion as Sacred: The Phenomenon and interpretation’, ‘Introduction to Religious Studies’, ‘Religious view of life’, ‘Taoist monographs’ and other books.

5. Internal Workshops

Since 2009 internal workshops are held where teachers within the department exchange their expertise. From 2011 research students are also invited for these workshops with the hope that their participation will further enhance the characteristics of the department and promotion of interreligious dialogue.

II. Teaching

1. Teacher Training and Life Education: Department assists to set up teacher training courses and certification for students of departments of religious studies and of philosophy.

2. Extension education credits: The department offers extension education credits for Bachelor and Master degree students. Since 2011 department offers ‘funeral director certification’ course to help students obtain professional license as Funeral directors.

3. Organized workshops and field trips: In addition to in class studies, every year the department organizes workshops and field trips so that students can better understand the diversity of Taiwan religious culture.

4. Courses with practical applications: Department offers courses in funeral rites and master of ceremonies, in religious organizations and administration that will help students to pass exams and obtain relevant licenses.

5. Religious Heritage Digital Archives Program: To promote multimedia and digital teaching, department purchased specialized equipment, and collects all relevant electronic information to assist teaching.

III. Independent Study Groups

1. Independent learning groups (Interest Groups) include: Guqin Club, Tai Chi Society, spiritual community, yoga community, religious painting and calligraphy society, Neijing Society etc. that enable students to have a life experience of religion.

2. Department Library: has a collection of Master, Doctoral dissertations and books on religion. Library provides space for students to study, to discuss, to organize book clubs, lectures, cultural events, etc.

3. Day and Night Division Student Groups: department organizes various student activities such as camping, Christmas party, religious week, award ceremony, election week etc.

 

Guidelines for development

1. Combining of religious/ humanistic values and social practice.

Since its establishment 20 years ago, the department commits itself to promoting religious and humanistic values as well as to comparative religion and interreligious dialogue with the hope that these religious and human concerns combined with social practices of college of social sciences would become a resource for addressing the social situations.

2. Collaborating with other departments.

Make use of the expertise of teachers and research students in the department as well as their rich religious experiences to develop inter-department common courses that will enhance the learning of students of the department and also will provide students of other departments within the college of social sciences the necessary vision and training in their research.

3. Establishing research characteristics

Through joint participation of teachers and research students, research sharing sessions and integrating various researches establish the characteristic features of department’s study of all religious traditions and religious theory.