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Religion Programs 

Religion/Jewish Studies Courses 

Associate Professor Burlein, Chairperson
Professor Teehan; Associate Professors Bhogal, Byrne, Kaufman

The Msgr. Thomas J. Hartman Endowed Chair in Catholic Studies is held by Dr. Julie Byrne, Associate Professor of Religion.
The Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Endowed Chair in Sikh Studies is held by Dr. Balbinder Singh Bhogal, Associate Professor of Religion.
The Robert & Florence Kaufman Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies is held by Dr. David Kaufman, Associate Professor of Religion.
See Endowed Chairs and Distinguished Professorships .

In a world where religion plays so central a role in social, political, and economic events, as well as in the lives of communities and individuals, students need to reflect upon and understand religious traditions. At Hofstra, the study of religion cultivates in students the intellectual resources to navigate a world partly shaped by religious experiences, communities, and institutions. Religion courses:

• Provide the tools students need to think critically and constructively about religious issues, questions, and values;
• Train students to recognize the many different roles religion plays in public life, especially the ways it shapes social, political, and economic discourses;  
• Enable students to experience and understand the way religions interact with and shape one another;
• Orient students to the many different forms of human religious expression from antiquity to modernity.  

In all of these ways the study of religion prepares students for future careers in fields such as diplomacy, business, politics and law.  A few of our students will go into the ministry, but most will take their knowledge and skills into secular careers that require people who have an acute ability to recognize and appreciate what things look like from someone else’s point of view.

Jewish Studies (JWST)
Associate Professor Kaufman, Director

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