Religious studies gain popularity in Utah County

Student support for Utah's first state-sponsored academic religious studies program is gathering steam in what many Utahns would consider to be a most unlikely locale — Utah County — mirroring a rising enrollment trend with similar programs nationwide.

The area, widely trumpeted as the most politically conservative in the nation, is densely populated with active Latter-day Saints and home to church-owned Brigham Young University — the region's largest employer and cultural trend-setter. When area residents think of religious studies, most would focus on LDS religion classes at BYU or other venues.

Yet despite its traditionally LDS-dominated nature, interest in exploring religion from a purely academic perspective — rather than a theological one — has grown so fast at Utah Valley State College that faculty members are scrambling to keep up with the demand. In fact, the school is waiting for the state Board of Regents to approve a formal 18-hour emphasis in religious studies — the first such program at a state-sponsored school in Utah.

Some academics hope that one day it could develop into the state's first full-blown academic religious studies department.

Brian Birch, UVSC religious studies director, sees a thirst for wide-ranging religious dialogue that mirrors national trends.

When Birch arrived on campus seven years ago, the school was offering two sections of a course in world religions. Since that time, the class has been split into Western religions and Eastern religions with four sections of each offered per semester, with several hundred students enrolled.

"The growth of the class exceeds the growth of the school in general," he said, noting a new course added to the catalogue last spring on "approaches to religious studies" was half full three days after the class schedule came out — with no publicity or advertising.

The interest is part of a nationwide trend, according Joel Gereboff, chairman of religious studies at Arizona State University. With some 4,388 students enrolled in 71 religion classes this semester, ASU's enrollment is the largest at a public university in the nation. Other colleges with large enrollments include Indiana University — 2,400 at Bloomington, 750 in Indianapolis; the University of Virginia with 2,476; University of California, Santa Barbara, approximately 2,000; and Boston University, 662.