On Making A Shift In The Study Of Religion And Other Essays

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On Making a Shift in the Study of Religion and Other Essays

Russell T. McCutcheon
On Making a Shift in the Study of Religion and Other Essays Book PDF

Author : Russell T. McCutcheon
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2021-06-08
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9783110721713

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On Making a Shift in the Study of Religion and Other Essays by Russell T. McCutcheon Pdf

Although many would today argue that the onetime dominance of the phenomenology of religion has receded, and with it the traditional approach to studying religion as a unique and deeply-felt experience that defies explanation, the essays collected here take quite the opposite stand: that this approach has merely been re-branded and continues to characterize much work being done in the field today. Offering a different way forward—one that is based on experiences gained by the members of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, a program that has successfully reinvented itself over the past 20 years—the book includes a variety of practical suggestions for how members of Religious Studies departments can revise their approach to studying and teaching about religion. Seeing religion instead as mundane but always exemplary of basic social elements found all across cultures, the volume argues that the way forward for this field lies not in the specialness of its object of study but, instead, the fact that thinking and acting as if something is special is itself an ordinary aspect of history and culture. Making just this shift helps the scholar of religion to contribute to wide, interdisciplinary conversations all across the Humanities and Social Sciences, demonstrating the practical relevance of their work.

Critics Not Caretakers

Russell T. McCutcheon
Critics Not Caretakers Book PDF

Author : Russell T. McCutcheon
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 365 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2023-11-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781000996760

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Critics Not Caretakers by Russell T. McCutcheon Pdf

The essays collected together in Critics Not Caretakers argue that the study of religion must be rethought as an ordinary aspect of social, historical existence, a stance that makes the scholar of religion a critic of cultural and historical practices rather than a caretaker of religious tradition or a font of timeless wisdom and deep meaning. The book begins with several essays that outline the basis of an alternative, sociorhetorical approach to studying religion, before moving on to a series of discrete dispatches from the ongoing theory wars, each of which uses the work of such writers as Karen Armstrong, Walter Burkert, Benson Saler, and Jacob Neusner as a point of entry into wider theoretical issues of importance to the field’s future. The author then examines the socio-political role of this brand of critical scholarship—a role that differs dramatically from the type of sympathetic caretaking generally associated with scholars of religion who feel compelled to “go public.” Concluding the work is a consideration of how scholars as teachers can address issues of theory, method, and critical thinking in a variety of undergraduate classrooms—the location where they have always been publicly accountable intellectuals. The new edition of this still read and, for some, controversial book preserves the original essays but includes a new opening chapter and new introductory commentaries across all of the chapters to demonstrate how little the field has changed since the volume was first published in 2001. Accordingly, the book continues to provide a viable alternative for those wanting to take a more critical approach to the study of religion.

The Study of Greek and Roman Religions

Nickolas P. Roubekas
The Study of Greek and Roman Religions Book PDF

Author : Nickolas P. Roubekas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2022-07-14
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781350102637

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The Study of Greek and Roman Religions by Nickolas P. Roubekas Pdf

How should ancient religious ideas be approached? Is "religion" an applicable term to antiquity? Should classicists, ancient historians, and religious studies scholars work more closely together? Nickolas P. Roubekas argues that there is a disciplinary gap between the study of Greek and Roman religions and the study of “religion” as a category-a gap that has often resulted in contradictory conclusions regarding Greek and Roman religion. This book addresses this lack of interdisciplinarity by providing an overview, criticism, and assessment of this chasm. It provides a theoretical approach to this historical period, raising the issue of the relationship between “theory of religion” and “history of religion,” and explores how history influences theory and vice versa. It also presents an in-depth critique of some crucial problems that have been central to the discussions of scholars who work on Graeco-Roman antiquity, encouraging us to re-examine how we approach the study of ancient religions.

Taking ‘Religion’ Seriously: Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion

Teemu Taira
Taking Religion Seriously Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion Book PDF

Author : Teemu Taira
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 227 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2022-03-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004511682

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Taking ‘Religion’ Seriously: Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion by Teemu Taira Pdf

Drawing on examples from judicial processes, media discourses, and scholarly debates related to Wiccans, Druids, and Jedi knights, among others, this book examines how social actors negotiate what counts as “religion” and argues for the relevance of the discursive study of religion.

Relating Religion

Jonathan Z. Smith
Relating Religion Book PDF

Author : Jonathan Z. Smith
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 429 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2004-11-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780226763873

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Relating Religion by Jonathan Z. Smith Pdf

One of the most influential theorists of religion, Jonathan Z. Smith is best known for his analyses of religious studies as a discipline and for his advocacy and refinement of comparison as the basis for the history of religions. Relating Religion gathers seventeen essays—four of them never before published—that together provide the first broad overview of Smith's thinking since his seminal 1982 book, Imagining Religion. Smith first explains how he was drawn to the study of religion, outlines his own theoretical commitments, and draws the connections between his thinking and his concerns for general education. He then engages several figures and traditions that serve to define his interests within the larger setting of the discipline. The essays that follow consider the role of taxonomy and classification in the study of religion, the construction of difference, and the procedures of generalization and redescription that Smith takes to be key to the comparative enterprise. The final essays deploy features of Smith's most recent work, especially the notion of translation. Heady, original, and provocative, Relating Religion is certain to be hailed as a landmark in the academic study and critical theory of religion.

Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change

Malcolm F. Cairns
Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change Book PDF

Author : Malcolm F. Cairns
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 1057 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2015-01-09
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781317750192

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Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change by Malcolm F. Cairns Pdf

Shifting cultivation is one of the oldest forms of subsistence agriculture and is still practised by millions of poor people in the tropics. Typically it involves clearing land (often forest) for the growing of crops for a few years, and then moving on to new sites, leaving the earlier ground fallow to regain its soil fertility. This book brings together the best of science and farmer experimentation, vividly illustrating the enormous diversity of shifting cultivation systems as well as the power of human ingenuity. Some critics have tended to disparage shifting cultivation (sometimes called 'swidden cultivation' or 'slash-and-burn agriculture') as unsustainable due to its supposed role in deforestation and land degradation. However, the book shows that such indigenous practices, as they have evolved over time, can be highly adaptive to land and ecology. In contrast, 'scientific' agricultural solutions imposed from outside can be far more damaging to the environment and local communities. The book focuses on successful agricultural strategies of upland farmers, particularly in south and south-east Asia, and presents over 50 contributions by scholars from around the world and from various disciplines, including agricultural economics, ecology and anthropology. It is a sequel to the much praised "Voices from the Forest: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Sustainable Upland Farming" (RFF Press, 2007), but all chapters are completely new and there is a greater emphasis on the contemporary challenges of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Studying Religion

Russell T. McCutcheon
Studying Religion Book PDF

Author : Russell T. McCutcheon
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 333 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2024-01-22
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781003825845

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Studying Religion by Russell T. McCutcheon Pdf

Widely used as a primer, a class text, or just a provocation to critical thinking, Studying Religion clearly explains the methods and theories employed in the academic study of religion by tackling the problem of how scholars define and then study religion. Written for all newcomers to the field, its brief chapters explore the three main ways in which religion is defined and, along the way, also consider a range of related topics, from the history and functions of religion to its public discourse, religion in the courts, and the classification of diverse groups into world religions. The works of classic and contemporary scholars—from Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud to Bruce Lincoln and Naomi Goldenberg—are analyzed and explored in readable chapters and detailed supporting materials. Studying Religion represents a shift away from the traditional descriptive and comparative approach and, instead, uses the study of religion to invite readers to consider how they divide up, name, and come to know the world around them. This edition also includes a new final chapter, Identification Matters, adding to the case studies included throughout this book to present a collection of contemporary instances where different approaches to defining and studying religion make it possible to study other issues of contemporary relevance, including those involving gender, race, and the rights of indigenous peoples. The new chapter makes explicit the practical topics of identity and status that have always been implicit throughout the entire book, bringing into the classroom a wide variety of timely and relevant topics that can be better understood by its approach. This book therefore remains invaluable to all students of religious studies—whether in the introductory class or as an example of an alternative way of approaching the field.

Innovation in Religious Traditions

Michael A. Williams,Collett Cox,Martin S. Jaffee
Innovation in Religious Traditions Book PDF

Author : Michael A. Williams,Collett Cox,Martin S. Jaffee
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 394 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Religion
ISBN : 3110127806

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Innovation in Religious Traditions by Michael A. Williams,Collett Cox,Martin S. Jaffee Pdf

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems- both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

Methods for the Study of Religious Change

A. F. Droogers
Methods for the Study of Religious Change Book PDF

Author : A. F. Droogers
Publisher : Equinox Publishing (UK)
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1781790434

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Methods for the Study of Religious Change by A. F. Droogers Pdf

Aims to redefine the study of religion as the study of worldviews, of ideas which are active in shaping the world. It argues that the study of religion should focus on people's worldview-making capacities and should contribute to the critical analysis of global problems and the promotion of cultural and spiritual respect across religions.

A Modest Proposal on Method

Russell T. McCutcheon
A Modest Proposal on Method Book PDF

Author : Russell T. McCutcheon
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 250 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2014-10-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004281417

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A Modest Proposal on Method by Russell T. McCutcheon Pdf

The essays in A Modest Proposal on Method, three of which are new, further document failings in the study of religion but offers practical suggestions for reinventing the field.

Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays

Bronislaw Malinowski
Magic Science and Religion and Other Essays Book PDF

Author : Bronislaw Malinowski
Publisher : Read Books Ltd
Page : 275 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2014-04-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781473393127

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Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays by Bronislaw Malinowski Pdf

This book contains three prolific essays by the world renown polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. First published in 1926, Magic, Science and Religion provides its readers with a seminal collection of texts exploring the concepts of magic, religion, science, rite and myth, detailing how they interlink to offer exciting and informative insights into the Trobrianders of New Guinea. A must-have for any students of anthropology and collectors of Malinowski’s work, we are republishing this classic work with a new introductory biography of the author.

Introducing Religion

Willi Braun,Russell T. McCutcheon
Introducing Religion Book PDF

Author : Willi Braun,Russell T. McCutcheon
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 525 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2016-04-08
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781134937042

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Introducing Religion by Willi Braun,Russell T. McCutcheon Pdf

The study of religion encompasses ordinary human social practice and is not limited to the extraordinary or divine. 'Introducing Religion' brings together leading international scholars in the field of religious studies to examine religion as integral to everyday social practice. The book establishes a theoretical framework for the study of religion to analyse prayer, ritual, science, morality and politics in relation to the world's major religions. It will be of interest to students of theory and method in religious studies seeking a clear introduction to the multifaceted nature of religion.

How Societies Change

Daniel Chirot
How Societies Change Book PDF

Author : Daniel Chirot
Publisher : SAGE
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2011-05-27
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781452237152

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How Societies Change by Daniel Chirot Pdf

This book, the only brief and affordable macro-sociology text available for undergraduates, describes how societies have changed over the past five thousand years. The discussion focuses on the idea that industrial societies, despite their great success, have created a new set of recurring and unsolved problems which will serve as a major impetus for further social change. This book explores development through historical narrative and examines the globalization/development paradox through in-depth case studies.

Religion at Play

André Droogers
Religion at Play Book PDF

Author : André Droogers
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-10-08
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1498222471

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Religion at Play by André Droogers Pdf

- Is a powerful position a guarantee that a religion will continue? - Does God take sides in religious power struggles? - Can God survive religious exclusivity and diversity? - Is God migrating from ""out there"" to ""in here""? - Is religion sustainable in the long run? In seeking answers to these questions, this book explores the possibilities afforded by playful religion. Religion has playful origins, but this aspect is forgotten as soon as institutional power becomes self-serving instead of subservient. Power changes the very essence of religion. Virtually all religions are distorted versions of a playful original. Institutionalization is religion's curse, not its blessing. Apparent success hides the failure of religion to be faithful to its original intent. This book helps find the way back from bordering to inclusivity and openness. ""Religion at Play is a work of love, a passionate call for us to let imagination and openness guide religious experience. Visionary and movingly written, the book affirms people's capacity to thwart power and to make religious experience a vibrant element in more just world-making projects."" --Joao Biehl, author of Vita ""Play and playfulness are not often associated with religion, especially in its institutional forms. In this book, a distinguished anthropologist of religion reexamines the relationship between power and play, asking . . . whether the 'ludic' makes the human animal lucid or ludicrous? Whatever we conclude, this generous and deeply personal essay is full of wisdom. We should indeed make it a habit to look for possible inversions. We should not, however, make this our daily bread. Put differently, we should most certainly interrogate our convictions, but we should think twice before we abandon them."" --Grace Davie, author of Religion in Britain since 1945 ""Designed as a personal manifesto, challenging to both faith believers and atheists, Andre Droogers' book Religion at Play combines creatively experiences in various continents in which he lived and rigorous scholarly research. A shift of perspective from a powerful to a playful religion is advocated. Thus, it also invites each reader to playfully venture that very same shift in relation to his or her assumptions regarding religion and life."" --Walter Altmann, author of Luther and Liberation Andre Droogers is Emeritus Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. His other books include Play and Power in Religion: Collected Essays (2012) and (with Anton van Harskamp) Methods for the Study of Religious Change: From Religious Studies to Worldview Studies (2014). Read more at www.andredroogers.nl.

Religious Transformations and Socio-Political Change

Luther Martin
Religious Transformations and Socio Political Change Book PDF

Author : Luther Martin
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 473 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2011-07-26
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9783110884203

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Religious Transformations and Socio-Political Change by Luther Martin Pdf

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems– both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.