The Department of Religious Education was established in 1923 with Dr. L. Foster Wood as the department's first professor. Early courses were organized into four groups: biblical literature, history and psychology of religion, Christian social ethics, and religious education technique. In 1930, the Department of Religious Education was changed to the Department of Religion to more accurately describe the course offerings of the department. The major emphasis of the department was not on religious education, but the study of biblical literature, history of religions, and the social-psychology of religion. The department has continued to expand and since 2004 has offered a minor in Jewish Studies. The name changed to Department of Religious Studies in 2019.