Classes, academic programs and research institutes on campus offer opportunities to learn about, and dialog with all the various traditions that comprise our university community:
Catholic Studies
Catholic Studies is an academic interdisciplinary minor program
designed to expose students to the study of the intellectual, social,
cultural and spiritual expressions of Catholicism. It is grounded in
Vatican II’s discussion of the Church in the modern world, with its
focus on human culture, dignity and justice. On the one hand, Catholic
Studies’ interdisciplinary nature mirrors the complex diversity that is
Catholicism, as it intersects and interacts with history and culture.
The Huffington Ecumenical Institute
At the impetus of significant gifts from Michael Huffington and the
Archangel Michael Foundation, Loyola Marymount University is embarking
on a unique program to bring about greater ecumenical dialogue and
exchange, especially between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox
communities. Once exclusively explored with officially delegated
Catholic and Orthodox representatives, the Huffington Ecumenical
Institute will bring this discussion into the forefront of the academy
and also to the level of local dialogues and encounters. The institute is a part of the Department of Theological Studies in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.
Jewish StudiesThe Jewish Studies Program is an academic interdisciplinary minor program designed to study and explore Jewish history, culture, faith and practice. Housed within the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, the Jewish Studies Program draws faculty and courses from a variety of departments, both in Liberal Arts and other colleges.
Theological StudiesThe Department of Theological Studies makes an essential contribution to the mission of Loyola Marymount University through its teaching of theology and its investigation of the broader area of religious experience. Areas of study include biblical, historical, systematic, and moral theology, world religions/comparative theology, and pastoral theology, with special emphasis on the Roman Catholic theological tradition. The strengths and uniqueness of our program lie in our concern for global and cross-cultural theological studies, with a special emphasis on the Roman Catholic tradition. Our faculty members are actively pursuing research in Europe, Africa, Australia, Japan, and South Asia
Yoga StudiesThe Yoga Studies Program in LMU Extension offers courses and opportunities for studying and experiencing classical yoga, which is best understood as a system of spiritual practice, rather than a particular religion. Hinduism is related to yoga through a common recognition of the Vedas as an authoritative source, and both Buddhism and Jainism share many of the core values of the Yoga tradition. Being non-sectarian in its essence, yoga represents a body of practices that may be fruitfully taken up by anyone who is serious about their spiritual development, regardless of their individual religious affiliation.