“The Religious Studies program here at Siena Heights is not a matter of convincing students to think the way I do. Rather, for me, the emphasis—or the importance of Religious Studies—is learning how to ask the question of God.”

Meet Ian Bell

Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

Chair of the Humanities Division

Education

• Ph.D., Marquette University, 2005
• M.A.T., Marquette University, 1998
• B.A., College of St. Scholastica, 1993

Recent Awards and Achievements

• Ian Bell, The Relevance of Bernard Lonergan’s Notion of Self-Appropriation to a Mystical-Political Theology (New York: Peter Lang, 2008).
• Ian Bell, “An Elaboration of the Worshipful Pattern of Experience in the Work of Bernard Lonergan,” Worship 81:6 (Nov 2007): 521-540.
• Ian Bell, “The Ascetics and Their Bodies,” The Way 46:3 (July 2007): 29-45.

Teaching Philosophy

"Religious studies involves investigating the manner in which the religious dimension of human experience addresses the question of meaning. What does human existence mean, and how does that meaning affect me personally? I believe that in the classroom such exploration is best done through a conversation in which students are not forced to accept the opinions of the professor, but rather are encouraged to develop the ability to address such questions and arrive at their own answers. Some students will find themselves in agreement with answers offered by established religious traditions, while others may not. In either case, the discipline of religious studies will help them determine why they agree or disagree."