Orthodox Christian Studies

Degree Options: Minor Only
Locations: Lincoln Center, Rose Hill
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Gain insight and understanding of Orthodox history and its place in the modern world.

As an Orthodox Christian studies minor, you’ll explore the artistic, historical, literary, and philosophical and theological aspects of the 2,000-year history of Orthodox Christianity. The interdisciplinary minor focuses on the faith, history, and cultural significance of the Orthodox Christian tradition. No matter your major, critical study of the Orthodox Christian tradition offers insights and context for understanding some of the world’s most significant issues.

Orthodox Christian studies acts as a cultural bridge, connecting religious traditions from throughout Asia Minor, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Russia. When you minor in Orthodox Christian studies, you’ll gain a greater familiarity with the range of modern Orthodox cultures—from Moscow to Baghdad—that is essential for success in today’s global environment.

Fordham University is the only university in the United States that offers a minor in Orthodox Christian studies, supported by the Orthodox Christian Studies Center. The center’s mission is to foster intellectual inquiry by supporting scholarship and teaching in a way that is relevant to the ecclesial community, public discourse, and the promotion of Christian unity. The center serves as the hub of all curricular, research, and outreach activities related to the interdisciplinary study of Orthodox Christian traditions.

Of course, you’ll learn more than Orthodox Christian studies here. You’ll also study history, mathematics, languages, and the arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education. We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.

  • Students minoring in Orthodox Christian studies are required to take Byzantine Christianity, one art history course, one history or social science course, and three other elective courses across several disciplines, including art and music history, classics, history, modern languages and literature, philosophy, and theology. Courses could include:

    • Byzantine and Western Art
    • Understanding Historical Change: Medieval
    • Russian Short Fiction
    • Byzantium and the West
    • Hospitality and Cosmopolitanism
    • The Crusades
    • Art of Prayer in Eastern Christian Mysticism
    • Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Early Christianity
    • Philosophy after Constantine
    • Introduction to Coptic, Introduction to Syriac
    • Medieval Jerusalem
    • The Russian Icon
    • Early Christian Art in Context
    • Christian Ecologies East and West

  • A minor in Orthodox Christian studies will give you the historical knowledge and cultural understanding to pursue a career in fields including:

    • Clergy
    • Law
    • Governmental agencies
    • NGOs
    • Philanthropic organizations
    • Relief and aid agencies
    • Human rights groups
    • Graduate and professional schools

    Our career services tap Fordham’s ties with more than 3,500 companies. We offer:

    • Post-graduation career search
    • Resume development, interviewing practice
    • Networking skill development
    • Hands-on case-study sessions with industry executives
    • Field-specific advising/coaching

    You also get access to our powerful network of alumni, who want to see you succeed as they have.

Learn More About Orthodox Christian Studies

View the Orthodox Christian Studies Program