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Taking âReligionâ Seriously: Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion
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This book demonstrates through methodological reflections and carefully chosen case studies a new way to conduct study of religion. It focuses on how social actors negotiate what counts as "religion" and how discourses on religion are part of the way in which contemporary societies organise themselves. The present volume draws on examples from judicial processes, media discourses, and scholarly debates related to Wiccans, Druids, and Jedi knights, among others. By analysing discourses on religion and building on, rather than rejecting, genealogical critiques of religion, Teemu Taira argues that the study of religion can be constructive and socially relevant.
Teemu Taira, Ph.D. (Turku, 2006), is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion at the University of Helsinki. He has published extensively on theoretical and methodological issues in the study of religion, religion and the media, and atheism in public discourse, including Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred with Kim Knott and Elizabeth Poole (Ashgate, 2013).
Contents
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: Taking âReligionâ Seriously
â1âHow This Approach Differs from Other Studies of âReligionâ
â2âA Look at the Content
2 The Discursive Approach: Theory, Method and the Study of Religion
â1âOutline for a Discursive Study of Religion
â2âDifferences within Discursive Approaches
â3âStruggling for a Discursive Study of Religion: A Debate on Disciplinary Identity
â4âStructural Challenges in the Study of Religion
â5âConclusion
3 Religion as a Discursive Technique: The Politics of Classifying Wicca
â1âThe Finnish Context
â2âWhat Happened to the Wiccans?
â3âRegistration as a Social Interest
â4âThe Benefits of Being a Religious Community
â5âGoverning by Classification
â6âScholars as Participants in Classificatory Practice
â7âConclusion
4 The Art of Becoming a Religion: Law, Media and Experts
â1âRegistering Religious Communities in Finland
â2âKey Interests behind the Process
â3âNegotiating âReligionâ: The First Round
â4âNegotiating âReligionâ: The Second Round
â5âInvolving Researchers and the Media
â6âConclusion
5 The Category of âReligionâ in Public Classification: Charity Registration of the Druid Network (with Suzanne Owen)
â1ââReligionâ and Charity Law
â2âNegotiating âReligionâ in the Druid Networkâs Application
â3âMotives, Responses, Implications
â4âConclusion: âReligionâ in Regulating and Enabling
6 Jedi Knights and the Category of Invented Religion
â1âEvaluating the Theoretical Utility of âInvented Religionâ
â2âAlternative Framework: Studying Discourse on Religion
â3âMan with a Hood: The Curious Case of Chris Jarvis
â4âInclusion, Exclusion, Reflexivity
â5âConclusion
7 Rethinking the Classroom: Teaching the World Religions
â1âTeaching and Un-teaching âReligions in the Worldâ
â2âProblematising and Historicising the Discourse on World Religions
â3âPartial Steps Forward: Ethnography and âMaking the Tent Biggerâ
â4âExploration of the Category of âReligionâ in the Classroom
â5âResources for the Classroom
â6âTeaching Again: Living with Compromises
â7âConclusion
8 Critics and Allies in Studying âReligionâ
â1âDefining Religion Anew? No Thanks!
â2âMaterial/ist and Affective Turns
â3âDifferent Ways to Be Critical
â4âAcknowledging That the Work Is Not Done
References
Index
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction: Taking âReligionâ Seriously
â1âHow This Approach Differs from Other Studies of âReligionâ
â2âA Look at the Content
2 The Discursive Approach: Theory, Method and the Study of Religion
â1âOutline for a Discursive Study of Religion
â2âDifferences within Discursive Approaches
â3âStruggling for a Discursive Study of Religion: A Debate on Disciplinary Identity
â4âStructural Challenges in the Study of Religion
â5âConclusion
3 Religion as a Discursive Technique: The Politics of Classifying Wicca
â1âThe Finnish Context
â2âWhat Happened to the Wiccans?
â3âRegistration as a Social Interest
â4âThe Benefits of Being a Religious Community
â5âGoverning by Classification
â6âScholars as Participants in Classificatory Practice
â7âConclusion
4 The Art of Becoming a Religion: Law, Media and Experts
â1âRegistering Religious Communities in Finland
â2âKey Interests behind the Process
â3âNegotiating âReligionâ: The First Round
â4âNegotiating âReligionâ: The Second Round
â5âInvolving Researchers and the Media
â6âConclusion
5 The Category of âReligionâ in Public Classification: Charity Registration of the Druid Network (with Suzanne Owen)
â1ââReligionâ and Charity Law
â2âNegotiating âReligionâ in the Druid Networkâs Application
â3âMotives, Responses, Implications
â4âConclusion: âReligionâ in Regulating and Enabling
6 Jedi Knights and the Category of Invented Religion
â1âEvaluating the Theoretical Utility of âInvented Religionâ
â2âAlternative Framework: Studying Discourse on Religion
â3âMan with a Hood: The Curious Case of Chris Jarvis
â4âInclusion, Exclusion, Reflexivity
â5âConclusion
7 Rethinking the Classroom: Teaching the World Religions
â1âTeaching and Un-teaching âReligions in the Worldâ
â2âProblematising and Historicising the Discourse on World Religions
â3âPartial Steps Forward: Ethnography and âMaking the Tent Biggerâ
â4âExploration of the Category of âReligionâ in the Classroom
â5âResources for the Classroom
â6âTeaching Again: Living with Compromises
â7âConclusion
8 Critics and Allies in Studying âReligionâ
â1âDefining Religion Anew? No Thanks!
â2âMaterial/ist and Affective Turns
â3âDifferent Ways to Be Critical
â4âAcknowledging That the Work Is Not Done
References
Index
The academic market, especially those scholars of religion who are interested in method and theory; the upper end of the undergraduate and postgraduate market, particularly because the application and development of the proposed approach with case studies make it easy to follow.