Center of Excellence

Faith & Religion in Rome, Italy

The CEA Global Campus in Rome houses a Center of Excellence in Faith & Religion, providing educators from across the globe a haven for research and teaching on this core discipline. Courses on Faith and Religion birthed from the Center integrate the study abroad experience directly into the major field of study for Theology, Religious Studies, and History on your home campus.

The CEA Rome Center for Faith and Religion will:

• Expand students’ knowledge of religion, theology and spirituality around the world.
• Equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for careers in which religious studies play an important formative role.
• Prepare students for advanced work, and to obtain posts in international organizations.
• Provide internships and voluntary work placements with Italian and European institutions and service organizations with religious affiliations. Internships are accompanied by faculty supervision, guidance, and review.

Topics covered by the Center’s courses will include:

• The global dimensions of the basic history, philosophy, and practices of major religious traditions and discourse in comparative terms, their similarities and differences of thought and practice among them.
• The history of the Church in Rome, the development of the papacy, the reign of Benedict XVI, and the important documents of the Catholic Church (both ancient and modern) that deal with Evangelization, Ecumenism, and Relations with non-Christian Religions.
• The origins and history of the Roman Jewish community.
• Global principles and practices of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.
• Strategies related to practical application of religious ideas within the global context.
• Relations and viewpoints of non-Catholic Christian communities and non- Christian communities in Rome towards the Catholic Church.
• The study and interpretation of religious and theological texts.
• The cultural and historical meaning of religions.
• The critical interpretation of religious values, images, symbols, and texts.
• The history, causes and consequences of religious persecution and prejudice.

Internships

The CEA Rome Center for Faith and Religion will provide internships and voluntary work placements with Italian and European institutions and service organizations with religious affiliations. Internships are accompanied by faculty supervision, guidance, and review. Pease contact Dr. Kevin Murphy, Academic Dean in Italy at to learn more abut the Center's specific course and internship options.

Activities

The Center’s courses offer a wide range of encounters, exchanges and debates with staff and students from the city’s Pontifical colleges, and with representatives of almost all the major institutions of religious devotion and instruction in Rome today (Roman Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox, Muslim, Lutheran and Anglican). Students will also have the opportunity to attend and participate in the calendar of international conferences and events organized by the Roman Catholic Church and related institutions.

Get Involved

Contact Dr. Kevin Murphy, Academic Dean in Italy at to learn more about this upcoming Center of Excellence in Rome and how it can be leveraged for your faculty and students to further global education in faith and religion.