Religious Leadership and Ministry (Minor)
Live and lead faithfully.
Mary Baldwin’s Religious Leadership and Ministry minor enables students to explore leadership styles in a religiously diverse world. This program prepares students of any faith to lead and serve through courses on the history and practices of world religions, studies in ethics, and practical.
experience in business communication classes. Alongside Mary Baldwin’s unique Carpenter programs for ministry and interfaith work, this minor will give you the foundational knowledge and skills to pursue further seminary or institutional training.
- Degree(s)
- Minor
Next steps
Why minor in religious leadership at Mary Baldwin?
Our program gives you the practical, theoretical, and ethical grounding needed to begin a vocation in the ministry of any faith. More than that, Mary Baldwin’s minor in Religious Leadership empowers empathy and interfaith dialogue and understanding through the exploration of different faiths and worldviews. Students will understand what drives others’ senses of purposeful living, from political choices to artistic expression.
Mary Baldwin also offers students of any degree program the ability to participate in the Carpenter Preparation for Ministry Program, named in honor of philanthropist Leona B. Carpenter. This unique program provides a bridge between the intellectual rigor of the classroom and the living of faith in the world. The program is not only for those students preparing for a religious vocation, but for those with any major or career plans who are interested in integrating faith and life. These programs include:
Quest
Conducted by the University Chaplain as part of the Carpenter Preparation for Ministry Program, this unique program helps students integrate religious commitment, intellectual development, and service. The program includes two years of spiritual direction, academic courses, and enrichment activities that support individual efforts to make sense of life, learning, and faith. When students fulfill all the requirements of Quest, including engaging in 100 hours of community service, they are inducted into The Carpenter Society in their junior or senior year.
Pre-Ministry Scholarships
These awards, totaling $2,500 each, are given annually to students who demonstrate a commitment to a post-graduate career or lifelong avocation in ministry. Scholarship winners are selected based on merit and financial need. To express interest or learn more, contact the University Chaplain.
Next steps
Minor Requirements
The Religious Leadership and Ministry minor is an 18-credit program exploring a variety of religious traditions and leadership practices.
Sample Courses
This course serves as an introduction to the field of intercultural communication by looking at the practical application of theory and research. Intercultural Communication focuses on the importance of culture in our everyday lives, and the ways in which culture interrelates with and influences communication processes. The course will cover several general topics including: identity, perception, communication skills, culture, linguistic differences, stereotyping, and intercultural communication in education, medicine and business. This course is designed to help us do all these things and become better communicators through intercultural awareness.
Students learn about the moral dimensions of leadership and develop a critical understanding of the ethical relationships among character, leadership style and skills, community values, and the aims of leadership. Students examine the nature and function of leadership in the context of humanitarian causes, advancement of social justice, and the peaceful conflict resolution. Includes analysis of major forms of moral reasoning and of classic leadership case studies. Ethics option for the Leadership minor.
Introduction to the historical and cultural background of Hebrew Bible. Students are introduced to the historical-critical method of study. The Biblical texts are approached from the perspectives of the history, faith, and theology of Ancient Israel, from Abraham to the return from exile.