The mission of the Center for Comparative Religions and Civilizations is to describe and interpret the developments, worldviews and practices of religious traditions in a non-sectarian, academic manner for the benefit of students, faculty from other fields and the people at large. Within a public university, Religion must be approached with academic objectivity and without favoritism for any one tradition. Yet, religion must also be studied with sensitivity and empathy for the millions of believers whose lives are shaped by their faith. Comparative Religion examines the spiritual quest of humankind, especially as it has manifested itself in the world’s living religions. These include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam Sikhism, Judaism, and other less familiar traditions. No other academic field looks at the origins, sacred writings, rituals, beliefs and world views of the various Religions for their own sake rather than as an aspect of another field of study. The Centre is to be a celebration of the multi-cultural and multi religious ethos of India.
To be an advance Centre for research and systematic study of multi-religious and cultural ethos of India by adopting the comparative, inter-disciplinary, scientific, dialogical critical and analytical methods. Part of the vision is to transform the society by promoting communal harmony, mutual appreciation and the spirit of the tolerance in the context of pluralism.
The academic study of Religions was understood by nineteenth century scholars to be a 'scientific' discipline based on observation and objective analysis just as the other sciences were. A Science of Religion, based on an impartial and truly scientific comparison of all, or at all events, of the most important, Religions of mankind, is now only a question of time. It becomes the duty of those who have devoted their life to the study of the principal Religions of the world in their original documents, and who value and revere it in whatever form they may present them self, to take possession of this new territory in the name of true science. The Centre for the study of Comparative Religions and Civilizations is one of the very few institutions of its kind in this country and we, at Central University of Jammu, are proud to keep it running. The Centre was established in July, 2016. The Director In-charge of the Centre is Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh. there is one professor , one associate professor and 4 assistant professors in the Centre.
