Jürgen Habermas, talking about John Rawls, once said “[that the latter] did posterity a great service in thinking at an early date about the political role of religion.” (2008:20). Today, the same can be, and in many ways surely is, said about religion in academia, or to paraphrase Habermas about the political role of religion in the academic sphere. It was once believed, that the university is a very, if not the most, secularized space in American society. This idée recue is now challenged by many scholars, and according to Schmalzbauer and Mahoney (2008: 1) “a new story needs to be told about religion in the academy”.
Table of Contents
1. Scholars Return to Studying Religion: A Review
Objectives and Topics
The paper examines the shifting landscape of religious studies within American higher education, exploring the transition from a purely secularized academic space back to one that acknowledges religion as a central social and intellectual phenomenon.
- The historical influence of religion on American higher education.
- The distinction between studying religion as an objective versus a subjective experience.
- The impact of poststructuralist ideas on the relationship between faith and knowledge.
- The role of interdisciplinarity in integrating religious studies across diverse departments.
- Contemporary limitations and future perspectives for religious research in academia.
Excerpt from the Book
Scholars Return to Studying Religion: A Review
The reason for this new interest in religion is due to many reasons. Among these various reason one can easily distinguish two main rationales: First, a growing number of scholars are starting to challenge the boundaries between faith and knowledge. Relating their claims of course to poststructuralist ideas about the concepts of truths as well as the epistemological questions of how do we get to knowledge? How do we know what we know? If it is not through some already established systems of beliefs. The second reason and one which is less philosophical is the acknowledging of the importance of religion as a social phenomenon.
Mahoney and Schmalzbauer, in an article entitled “Scholars Return to Studying Religion”, argue that until the late 19th century religion exerted a powerful influence over American higher education. It was only until the 20th century that the process of secularization started to cast doubt on the religious understanding of reality, mostly basing their beliefs on the works of intellectuals like Sigmund Freud, Nietzsche, Marx, Darwin and others. Fact which led the Academic disciplines to get more and more specialized. Historians James Turner and Jon Roberts, as quoted in the article, explain this fact by arguing that the aim of Academia was to “think small: to ask questions for which there were determinate and publicly verifiable answers.” (2008: 17)
Summary of Chapters
Scholars Return to Studying Religion: A Review: This section provides an overview of the resurgence of religious studies in academia, detailing the shift from secularization to a renewed academic focus on religion as both a social force and an intellectual subject.
Keywords
Religion, Academia, Secularization, Higher Education, Interdisciplinarity, Poststructuralism, Faith, Knowledge, Social Phenomenon, Religious Studies, Objectivity, Discourse, American Society, Religious Resurgence, Academic Discipline
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper discusses the renewed academic interest in religion and how it is once again becoming a significant field of inquiry within American universities after a long period of secularization.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the changing boundaries between faith and knowledge, the historical shift in higher education, the challenges of maintaining objectivity in religious studies, and the move toward interdisciplinary approaches.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The main objective is to review the arguments presented by Mahoney and Schmalzbauer regarding why religion is returning to the academic spotlight and how that return is reshaping institutional research perspectives.
Which methodology does the author utilize?
The author employs a qualitative literature review methodology, synthesizing key arguments from scholars like Habermas, Foucault, Casanova, and others to analyze the "new story" of religion in the academy.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the rationales for the new interest in religion, the methodological debate over whether religion should be studied objectively or with overt religious conviction, and the impact of blurring departmental boundaries.
Which keywords define the work?
Key terms include Religion, Academia, Secularization, Higher Education, Interdisciplinarity, and Poststructuralism, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the discussion.
How does the author view the "objective" study of religion?
The author argues that pure objectivity is nearly impossible, as researchers inevitably bring their own perspectives and "locations" into their studies, suggesting that acknowledging these perspectives can actually enhance credibility.
What does the author suggest about the growth of religion-related courses?
The author highlights the significant growth in religion-related offerings in medical schools as evidence that the study of religion is expanding beyond the humanities and social sciences into supposedly "pure" disciplines.
- Quote paper
- Student-Researcher Amine Zidouh (Author), 2013, American Scholars Return to Studying Religion - A Review, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/212049
