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Religious studies. Religious studies, also known as the study of religion, is the scientific study of religion. There is no consensus on what qualifies as religion and its definition is highly contested. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing empirical, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.
Contemporary examples of the interaction of religious studies and religious practice will focus on the American context because it is necessary to practically limit the examples, because this is my area of expertise, and because the study of religion in America has been influential on the broader discipline of religious studies.
- Introduction
- Critical Theory
- What Makes A Religion True?
- Recognising Ourselves
- How Should We Study?
- In Conclusion…
- Image Credits
- See Also
Religious studies is the academic study of religion - but what does that reallymean? It means that we use scholarly tools and techniques to investigate what religion is, how it’s performed, why it exists, and what it means for the people who practice it. It also means looking critically at how we build up our picture of ‘religion’ - who gets to def...
This sort of thinking (and thinking about thinking!) is sometimes referred to as critical theory. It means taking a step back and asking questions about the ‘tools of the trade’, the ideas and principles, the methods and approaches that we use. This is an important part of religious studies, without which we might blindly reinforce unfair power str...
Religious studies is also agnostic with regard to religious ‘truth’, or we might say that the subject is ‘secular’ - it does not require us to make judgements about whether a particular worldview is ‘true’, instead it focuses on studying people in the context of their religious practices and beliefs, without passing judgement. This also means that ...
This brings us to another important point about religious studies - scholars must be aware of their own bias and perspective, and where possible aim to minimise the effect this may have on their studies, and be as transparent as possible about their position. This makes it easier for other people to read their work in its proper context, and unders...
Religious studies is multidisciplinary - it doesn’t cover just one area of human life, in fact religion impacts almost everythingthat people do, and so the methods used to study ‘religion’ need to be equally broad. In practical terms, this means that you might use tools drawn from anthropology, psychology, neurology, sociology, musical theory, geog...
Religious studies is a fascinating subject, which examines the diverse and complex ways that people express and experience meaningful connections between each other and the world. It aims to understand and describe perspectives without passing judgement on their validity or truth. It requires self-awareness and empathy, as well as critical judgemen...
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- Deepen your understanding of society. Religion has been deep-rooted within humankind for as long as historical written accounts can tell us. It has had a huge impact on all cultures across the globe, and by learning the depths of the subject, you can broaden your knowledge of the world and how people work.
- It’s a relevant area. Theology & Religious Studies is far from being outdated; it’s still very pertinent and important. Nearly every day there is something related to religion on the news, and there is a great demand in certain fields for those sufficiently educated in this area.
- Combine with other disciplines. Because it’s partly a study of culture and how humans live, Theology & Religious Studies fuses together many different disciplines.
- It encourages reflection and debate. In Theology & Religious Studies you’re required to take the time to really think deeply about topics within the subject area.
In recent years, we have seen the emergence of a new framework, one that hinges not on the religious/secular divide but, rather, a more comprehensive religious/non-religious one. Atheism and humanism in particular have come to the fore, and the extent to which people identify as “non-religious” or having “no religion” is garnering both academic and public attention.
The academic study of religion rests on the basic distinction between studying about religion as a field of inquiry and being religious or a religious practitioner. This distinction is central to the U.S. Supreme Court case Abington vs. Schempp (1963), a case involving daily prayer as part of a Pennsylvania school's opening exercises. The Court ...
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