New Graduate Program to Explore Church-State Relations

ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters

United States: New Graduate Program to Explore Church-State Relations

March 12, 2002 Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA .... [Katie Shaw/ANN Staff]

The role of religion in current political and legal processes will be the focus of a new graduate degree program to be offered by Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution located in Michigan, United States. According to the university, the Master of Arts program in church-state studies will help prepare scholars, ministers, attorneys, and others to address emerging church-state issues.

"The increasing religious diversity of American society and international tensions involving religion make the study of church-state relationships important at this time," says Gary Land, chair of the history and political science department.

The program, set to begin in August, "will fill a current need in the church and society," says Brian Strayer, history professor at Andrews. The interdisciplinary program will be offered by the university's history and political science department and will cover the history of relationships between religion and government, contemporary church-state issues, and the legal and political processes involved.

"Faith and morals cannot be separated from daily political practice," says Jane Sabes, political science professor. "Human cloning, attacks by religious fundamentalists, global responsibilities such as protecting the environment, and growing disparity of incomes within society are just some of the issues with moral and ethical implications. We must learn, on the one hand, to acknowledge political realities, and on the other, to apply faith and ethics."

For more information, go to www.andrews.edu.

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ANN Staff: Ray Dabrowski, director;
Bettina Krause, news director;
Ansel Oliver, editorial assistant.
Copyright Adventist News Network 2001.