Many changes have occurred on the Hill in recent months, with no change more momentous than the next, some might say. With these various adjustments, the administration has made the decision to rename the theology department to the religion department. 

Religion teacher Ms. Cece Kasberg ‘83 provided some insight on her thoughts regarding the new nomenclature.. “We made the change to go from theology to religion this past summer,” Kasberg said. She added that when she was a student here in the early ‘80s the class was already called religion, “so at some point it switched to theology.” 

Head women’s soccer coach and religion teacher Mr. Marc Behringer ‘84 said the name was changed to theology “roughly 15 years ago.” 

Kasberg stressed that the switch to religion was not so much a change in the course curriculum, but rather a change in what she called the “angle” that the department uses to approach various topics in class. 

She said that she thinks of theology as more of an academic term, whereas studying religion is a much more personal interaction. “Religion is a set of beliefs, but it’s how you personally are living it out. It’s just coming from a different angle. Every religion class is still part academic and then part spiritual,” Kasberg explained. 

Ultimately, the department seeks to emphasize the latter, allowing students to confront their own spiritual relationships with faith. This year, the “underlying theme” religion teachers will be using to guide their classes is the question “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” Kasberg wants to help students understand and strengthen their relationship with Him throughout the year, “through prayer, through meditation, through studying, through picking up the Bible and reading scripture and talking about that,” she said. 

Kasberg said that she is fine with the change and it doesn’t matter what the class is called to her because she is “still going to give (students) an absolute, fabulous experience in the classroom and I want to teach them about the Catholic faith, (while being) cognizant of the fact that they may not be Catholic, and I want to just to meet them where they are and help them be a better person in terms of what their beliefs are.” 

Overall, Kasberg said she wants students to approach their religion classes this year with a positive attitude, and to be receptive of guidance that will “help (students) with every facet of life,” she said.