| For people of faith who want religious degrees, | | | | want to explore their own faith in greater depth, |
| distance education is a viable option. It's often | | | | and choose a religious degree program for that |
| hard to find faith based education that is | | | | reason. |
| convenient. Traditional schools that offer religious | | | | Religious Degrees That Apply Your Faith |
| degrees may not exist in your community. If | | | | Another reason people might want to pursue |
| they do exist, they are frequently more financially | | | | getting a religious degree is to prepare for a |
| challenged than other schools, and offer fewer | | | | career. It's very common to use online learning or |
| classes when non-traditional students can take | | | | distance education for this. Christians can attend |
| them. | | | | Bible school and seminary through online learning |
| People of any faith can find distance education | | | | to prepare for a variety of ministry jobs. |
| particular to their faith. You can learn Hebrew or | | | | People of faith get religious degrees to prepare |
| Arabic online...or you can learn in Hebrew or Arabic | | | | for other careers, too, such as counseling. A Hindu |
| online. There are three basic categories of religious | | | | may choose to get a degree in ayurveda, a vedic |
| education that you can access online. | | | | system of natural healing that has its roots in |
| Religious Degrees From a Religious Worldview | | | | Hindu faith. Counseling and ayurveda are both |
| People of faith have a particular worldview, and | | | | practical degrees that allow you to use your faith |
| sometimes you want an education that is | | | | in your career. |
| consistent with that worldview. For example, an | | | | Religious Degrees for Scholars |
| evangelical Christian might want to go to an | | | | Some people pursue religious degrees to satisfy |
| evangelical Christian school, or an Islamic student | | | | their intellectual curiosity, or to do advanced study |
| might want to go to an Islamic school. For the | | | | in some facet of religion or just to learn more |
| most part, religious schools don't reinforce biases | | | | about religion in general. They may or may not |
| and prejudices. Instead, they begin with a certain | | | | practice the faith that they are curious about. |
| set of assumptions, usually about God and the | | | | Distance learning is a great way to engage in |
| universe, and learning is shaped by those | | | | scholarly religious study. Through distance learning |
| assumptions. | | | | you can not only get a degree, but you can also |
| There are some good reasons to take online | | | | study with experts all over the world. You can |
| classes from these schools. If, for instance, you | | | | take a class on the Talmud from Hebrew |
| plan on a career related to your faith, a | | | | University in Jerusalem, or study the words of |
| faith-based degree might enhance your career | | | | Jesus from a Jesus Project scholar. |
| opportunities. Sometimes people attend religious | | | | Whatever your reason for getting a religious |
| classes because it's just easier and more | | | | degree, distance learning will make it an obtainable |
| comfortable to learn with people who are like you | | | | goal for you. |
| and believe like you do. And sometimes they | | | | |