An Argument In Defence Of A Strictly Scientific Study Of Religion

"This book, in essence, is an argument in support of a strictly scientific study of religions and religion without the incorporation of non- or extra-scientific agendas - religious/theological, political, or cultural. The argument is structured by analysis and critiques of decisions taken by the International Association for the History of Religions to supplement its original (and still constitutional) commitment to a science of religion with such extra-scientific agendas mentioned above."--

The Science of Religion: A Defence offers a brilliant overview of Donald Wiebe’s contributions on methodology in the academic study of religion, of the development of his thinking over time, and of his intellectual commitment to 'a science of religion'.

This book includes a collection of articles by leading researchers on the topic of religious contact in the study of religion. Resulting from the final conference of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Dynamics in the History of Religions"–one of the largest research initiatives in the interdisciplinary study of religion worldwide in recent years (2008-2020)—this book encapsulates the twofold aim of this conference: first, to "step back" and reflect upon the merits and challenges of studying religious dynamics as a result of intra-, inter-, and extra-religious contact, and second "to look beyond" and pave ways for future approaches to study religion as a social phenomenon.

The purpose of this book – "THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHOTHERAPY, SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL WORK, PEDAGOGY & EDUCATION, MANAGEMENT AND ART: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT" (Second Edition) – is to achieve an investigation as exhaustive and comprehensive as possible on the presence of the humanistic approach, with an emphasis on the dual-humanistic valences, in a wide range of social and human fields, thus bringing before the reader – as an alternative to the modular, strictly monodisciplinary approaches – a multidisciplinary and complex approach, thus putting almost all the most important social & human disciplines and practices under a single humanistic/ dual-humanistic ”umbrella”, and presented in a single book. The Chapter 1 highlights the diversity of approaches in the social and human domains, focusing on three great approaches: mystical-spiritual and religious, strictly scientific, and humanistic. In Chapter 2, the sources and models of the humanistic orientation are explored, identifying in this sense, with priority, Humanism and philosophical influences such as criticism, ontology, humanistic philosophy, and same oriental-spiritual practices. This chapter highlights also the contribution of phenomenology, existentialism, personalism, gestaltism, neo-Marxism, the Frankfurt School, secular humanism, the human rights movement, postmodernism, feminism, and complex and emergent systems theories. Chapter 3 focuses on the humanistic/ dual-humanistic approach in psychology and psychotherapy.. The basic principles of the humanistic approach to the human psyche were highlighted, as well as the dual-humanistic approach to personality and behavior. Chapter 4 discusses the humanistic/ dual-humanistic orientation in sociology and social work, highlighting the characteristics of social humanism and their different postures in the field of sociology and social work. Chapter 5 brings to the reader's attention the humanistic approach to pedagogy and education, emphasizing the specificity of child/student center education and the characteristics of the dual-humanistic approach in pedagogy/ education. Chapter 6 addresses the issue of humanistic management, emphasizing how this approach generated a significant change in work organizations, focusing on people, employee development and their well-being. Chapter 7 discusses the humanist approach in art, theater and film, highlighting the characteristics of humanistic aesthetics and humanistic theatrology/ filmology. Chapter 8 brings other disciplines into the discourse, such as medicine, politics, religion, technology & science, ecology and economy, highlighting how the humanistic approach influences these fields and brings a dual perspective between person-centeredness and human/ social solidarity. Chapter 9 presents some of the characteristics of the humanistic/dual-humanistic approach to personal development, focusing on the formation of a strong, humane and complete personality. Chapter 10 discusses the humanistic approach, especially through its dual-humanist valence, in community development, emphasizing how it, as philosophy, culture and politics, can contribute to the formation of a strong and humane/ solidary community, with the inclusion of the goals and values of personal development/fulfillment and the happiness of their members. Regarding the usefulness and addressability of this edition, of this book, the design, content and bibliography are made in such a way as to be useful both to the academic community, to students and to teachers, and to the professional community, to psychotherapists, educators, managers, social workers, artists, medical practitioners, politicians, etc. The work being unique in its way because it brings together under the ”umbrella” of a humanistic approach the most important social & human sciences and practices, it is, of course, also addressed to readers interested in such a perspective.

Failure and Nerve in the Academic Study of Religion presents a provocative critique of the unwillingness of modern scholars to publically distinguish research into comparative religion from confessional studies written within denominationally-affiliated institutions. The book offers the 19th Century founders of the study of religion as a bracing corrective to contemporary timidity. The issue was analysed and documented by Wiebe a quarter of a century ago. Here, marking Wiebe's work, a wide range of contributors reassess the methodology and ambition of contemporary religious research. The book argues that conceptualizing religion as part of the world of human action and experience is the first requirement of the study of religion.

Luther H. Martin and Donald Wiebe together have spent the better part of a century exploring possibilities for a scientific study of religion. The following essays are a record of their conversations together and of their conversations and controversies with a number of leading scholars in religious studies that address that possibility. As with any scientific endeavor, knowledge advances when research assumptions and experimental designs are collegially discussed and critically assessed. It is hoped that these essays might provide the occasion for scholars in the field to discuss the theoretical and methodological issues they have raised, to debate and expand upon them, or, in the spirit of forthright scientific inquiry, to refute the arguments they have made.

Theory and Method are two words that cause considerable consternation in the academic study of religion. Although everyone claims to be aware of and to engage them, the fact of the matter is that they remain poorly understood. Some see the terms as irritants that get in the way of data interpretation and translation. Others may invoke them sporadically to appear in vogue but then return quickly and myopically to their material and with little concern for the larger issues that such terms raise. To contribute to these debates, the present volume reproduces select articles from Method and Theory in the Study of Religion (MTSR) from the first 25 volumes of the journal, and allows a group of younger scholars to introduce and review them, asking if the issues raised are still relevant to the field. Contributors include: Matt Sheedy, Robert A. Segal, James B. Apple, Neil McMullin, Rebekka King, Russell McCutcheon, Craig Martin, Donal Wiebe, Emma Cohen, Robert N. McCauley, E. Thomas Lawson, Steven Engler, Mark Q. Gardiner, Bruce Lincoln, Sarah E. Rollens, Burton Mack, Yasmin Merchant, Herb Bergh, Jennifer Hall, Darlene Juschka, Ella Paldam, and Armin Geertz.

Controversies over how to define the word religion have persisted for decades. It is a term of art and of academic study, but also one of governance, technologies, and of networks; it is a concept whose diversity is often its own worst enemy. Religion is as much a fuzzy set of conceptualizations and generalizations about a range of human activities as it is an authorizing system of persons, ideas, and practices. What is Religion?: Debating the Academic Study of Religion invites readers to eavesdrop on scholarly debates over the limits of, and uses for, a word commonly used but infrequently defined in a precise manner. This volume takes the temperature of the modern field of Religious Studies by inviting a diverse group of scholars to offer their own substantive contribution that builds on the shared opening prompt, Religion is.... Their essays document the current state of the field and its various sub-fields, assess the progress that has been made over the past generation, and propose new directions for future work. Seventeen of the international field's leading scholars show how they work with each other's definition, or, sometimes, the lack of a definition. Of interest to students, scholars, and general readers alike, What is Religion? will provoke debate and provide insights into the state of the field.