VISION
The Department envisions an academic and research programme that equips our students and teachers with the tools necessary for the dialogue between faith and reason in furtherance of our search for solutions to the challenges of coexistence in a multi-diverse society. This dialogue is underpinned by the Catholic tradition that believes the world is created by God, and that created things and creatures of all diversity were created good and blessed by God. Thus the great diversity that inhabits our world: tribe, tongue, gender, religious or faith experience, regional and ethnic differences do not undermine the goodness of creation. They all enhance it and animate a quest to understand it all. Given our peculiar situation in Nigeria where our diversity, especially religious diversity which has become a source of pain and bloodletting, our vision is to inculcate in our students an enduring quest for the common good. It is no accident that the pursuit of what is good for the other is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. We must be able to translate in real terms here in Nigeria what it means to be human and to live the fullness of our humanity.
MISSION
The philosophy of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Dominican University is rooted in the conviction that a dialogue of faith and reason will facilitate the good management of religious and ethnic diversity in Nigeria and foster peace and harmony in the multi-religious space that Nigeria is. The mission of the Department is to be a place of objective and high quality scholarship in the inter-face and inter-play of philosophy and religion where our research will nourish teaching and scholarly publications that responds to the challenges we face. The Department envisions itself as a place of encounter and dialogue about life and its challenges. We do not want to just exist, certainly not in the proverbial Ivory tower far removed from reality, but we want to LIVE and deal with the challenges of living.
OBJECTIVE
The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies has the broad objective of introducing and acquainting our students to the main philosophical questions. These philosophical questions asked by generations past are also questions for today. They interrogate us today too. The Philosophy component of this Department equips our graduates with the tools they need for post-graduate research work in the academia, a solid academic preparation for career in human resource management and administration of the public and private sectors of the nation, and in other professional domains. The graduate of Religious Studies is exposed to the major religious traditions commonly practiced in Africa. We are, irrespective of our Christian affiliation, committed to developing in our students a broad spectrum conducive to life and association in a pluralistic society like Nigeria. We welcome every prospective student irrespective of creed, gender, political or regional affiliation. We only ask you to come prepared for hard intellectual work. How hard? Very hard!! Be prepared to take on the world and win.