History and Religion

Our goal is that students absorb the lessons of history and religion and leave with an appreciation of the world around them, including an understanding of how we got to where we are today and a desire to have a positive impact on the world in the future. We stress the connections between events, people, and places, and emphasize the changes in cultures over time."

— Skeffington Young, Department Chair

How do we teach?

Our classes are conducted around the Harkness table where students are expected to participate actively in discussions. Our curriculum focuses on the students’ development of critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills. Students learn how to analyze primary and secondary sources and to use those sources to support their historical arguments, both in writing and in discussion. In addition to individual essays, students also conduct research in order to learn from outside sources. Students learn all aspects of library and Internet research, how to identify useful sources and compile a bibliography, how to take notes and formulate a thesis, and how to write an effective paper that presents a logical and cohesive argument.

All students are required to take three years of history, one of which must be United States History in the junior year, and the World Religions course, normally taken in tenth grade.

Courses
411 World History I
421 World History II
431 United States History
433 American Studies (taken together with course 133)
435 AP United States History
440 Introduction to Psychology
442 Political Science
443 Economics
445 AP European History
449 The Masters Thesis
455 World Religions

History and Religion Faculty

Skeffington K. Young,
Department Chair
B.A., University of Chicago
M.A.T., Tufts University

Mark Barr
B.A., Vassar College
M.A., University of Virginia
Ed.M., Columbia University

Lisa K. Berrol
B.A., University of Chicago
Ed.M., Harvard University

Ellen Cowhey
B.A., Bethany College

Courtney DeStefano
B.A., Skidmore College
M.A., Boston College

Matthew Ives
B.A., The Catholic
University of America
M.A., University of Maryland
A.B.D., University of Maryland

Maxfield McKenna
B.A., Amherst College

Jane Baron Rechtman,
Henry Sloane Coffin
Chair in Religion

B.A., University of the Pacific
M.Div., Union Theological Seminary
C.M.H., Drew University

Colleen Roche
B.A., The College of William & Mary
M.A.L.S., Columbia University

Eric Shapiro
B.A., The University of Pennsylvania
J.D., Fordham University

Cathy Warren
B.A., Williams College