Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
“Old Testament in Context,” “New Testament in Context,” “Christianity and Culture” — Do these titles sound familiar? These are the three required religion courses to meet the general education requirement at Seaver College.
The course list was recently updated to include things like “The Way of Jesus” and “The Story of Christian Sculpture,” but “Old Testament in Context,” “New Testament in Context” and “Christianity and Culture” were the original courses. As Pepperdine updates its course list, these three will be phased out, although the same amount of classes will still be required.
I’m sure most students experience the Seaver class registration days that start at 7 a.m., hoping and praying as they try to register for one of the required religion courses.
I know I have had to email professors, begging them to be let into a certain section because I needed other classes as prerequisites or had other major-related classes that I couldn’t drop or move to make space in my schedule for a religion class. I am sure other students have dealt with similar situations.
For students on a pre-med or pre-law track or with a double major or minor, this is an even bigger stressor.
How is it possible to fit in all of these classes in four years? For many, it’s not possible. Summer school seems to be a popular choice among students to be able to get their credits in on time for graduation.
Pepperdine’s religion general education requirements need to be made less demanding on students’ schedules and made more inclusive of all religions represented by Pepperdine’s student body because every student should feel represented and should be able to graduate without the additional stress of religion courses.
Pepperdine requires 19 courses in its General Education program. It is on the higher end of the spectrum compared to other local Christian colleges. Loyola Marymount University only requires 13 GEs, California Lutheran only requires 16 GEs, Azusa Pacific requires 22 GEs and Biola requires 24 GEs.
While Pepperdine will be introducing a new General Education program in the fall of 2024 which will have fewer required classes, as this program is introduced, it is still important to consider restructuring the amount of religion credits required.
When cross-referencing the religion requirements, Pepperdine requires three while LMU and Cal Lutheran only require one, according to the LMU and Cal Lutheran websites. Azusa Pacific does not require any. Biola requires the most with a requirement of 30 credits. So, Seaver students not only have one of the most demanding GE programs in the area but also have one of the most rigorous religious programs.
Trying to get prerequisites and major classes in a student’s schedule is hard enough; adding in the religion classes almost guarantees summer school at some point, which is not always affordable for students because four credits cost, according to the summer school tuition estimator, a little over $10,000.
We are required to study Christianity and Christian history, while the other Christian universities in the area get to study many different types of religion if they want to for their religion requirement. It is unfair that students get a limited amount of knowledge on the different religions surrounding the globe from their general education courses when students pay such a high amount in tuition.
We are getting a less well-rounded education than our local competitors. At Cal Lutheran, they offer classes entitled “Introduction to the Study of Global Religions,” “Theology and Business Ethics” and even “Sexual Ethics.”
Pepperdine students deserve to be able to study religion from all different points of view, not just the Christian point of view that Pepperdine offers.
While Pepperdine does offer “Religions of the World” and other non-Christian religious courses, these classes do not fulfill the general education religion requirements. So, while students can study other religions, to graduate students are required to take the three Christian religious courses.
The first half of a Pepperdine student’s college career is spent studying Christianity in the Core Chapels and Rise Groups. I think it is unnecessary to require three separate Christian religion courses on top of the chapels and small groups.
Why shouldn’t students be able to study Buddhism, or meditation, or the history of Asian religions as well as the Old Testament in their general education courses? Is there a reason general education should be tied to the Bible and not cover anything about the Qur’an?
Since Pepperdine is a Christian university, there are mandatory chapels for first-years and sophomores and weekly worship sessions in the amphitheater on campus.
It is only fair that we represent the entire student body with classes that teach other cultures and religions. A more diverse education would create a more united community with a better understanding of each other.
Seaver should lower the number of religion classes required by at least one since they already require four semesters of Seaver 200, and they represent Christianity a hundred other ways on campus. Cutting one religion class will make it easier for students to graduate on time and focus on their actual majors without drastically straying from Pepperdine’s Christian mission.
If Seaver isn’t going to cut any of the required credits then they should try to diversify the GE curriculum to be more representative of all religions represented by the student body. In 2024, there is no reason to exclude or ignore any group’s existence within the GE curriculum.
The Bible isn’t the only thing we should be studying in Religion GE curriculum. Teaching about other religions in the general education requirements will lead to a more educated, inclusive and respectful student body.
___________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Chloe Anna Austria via email: chloeanna.austria@pepperdine.edu
or by Instagram @chloeannaaustria
