Theology/Philosophy

Sunlight shining on wooden crucifix and rosary setting on a wood table

Program Type

Minor
School

School of Arts & Sciences

Explore the great quest for truth from the interconnected perspectives of faith and reason.

What You’ll Learn

Pope St. John Paul II taught that faith — the domain of theology — and reason — the domain of philosophy — are "like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth."

In the theology/philosophy minor, you’ll explore the question of truth in a flexible program of study.

Discover the Seminal Works that have Shaped our Culture: You’ll engage with the foundational writings that continue to inform modern thinking — from Socrates and Aristotle to Saints Benedict and Aquinas.
Receive Individualized Attention: You’ll enjoy small class sizes and have the opportunity to be mentored by your professors.
Prepare for Graduate Study at Mary: Continue your exploration of theology and philosophy in Mary’s Master of Arts in Catholic Studies, Master of Arts in Applied Catholic Theology, or Master of Business Administration/Master of Arts in Philosophy.

Program Information

Please visit our catalog for admission requirements and a full list of our courses.

Careers & Outcomes

Employment Trends

Both theology and philosophy provide students with a broad-based liberal arts education. Students who graduate with a theology/philosophy minor develop unique perspectives that are valued by employers in a wide range of fields, from ministry and education to business and the nonprofit sector.

Career Paths

Priest or Religious
Educator
Attorney
Entrepreneur
Nonprofit Director
Chief Executive Officer
Health Care Professional
Scientist
Journalist
Marketer

Featured Faculty

David Echelbarger, PhD

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of Philosophy

I joined the philosophy faculty at Mary in 2014, after earning my PhD from Baylor University. In addition to teaching philosophy, I have the great privilege of serving as a faculty mentor for the Gregorian Scholars Honors Program. My wife and I have been blessed with three children. Originally from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin, we have developed a great fondness for North Dakota — especially its people and austere beauty.

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David Fleischacker, PhD

The Saint John Henry Newman Chair of Liberal Arts

I love to find all the ways that God is working through creation, through history, and through human lives. The world to me a wonder beautiful mystery that is an unfolding of how God raises up goodness, especially when that goodness is brought out of the midst of evil. I hold dear to my heart my family and friends, and all of those God has placed in my path, though I walk in fear and trembling as the saying goes, knowing my fallibility and the fragility of things in this world. We are thrown into the strength of God.

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