2.3.9 Critiques in the Study of Religion
This masterclass on religious studies introduces advanced students to the ways in which “religion” has been understood by scholars, and the critics emerging from postcolonial and postmodern circles. In this lecture Professor Tayob defines postcolonialism, and how this awareness of what was before and what could come beyond colonialism influences the way scholars understand the category of religion.
Scholars in this field initially argued that religion is a “natural category” inherent to all humans. Later scholars understood religion as a category produced by scholars, saying “we are studying reality, but most of our understanding of reality is coming through the words we are speaking; we are constructing reality as we are speaking.”
“Religion isn’t a native term used by ordinary religious people, it is rather a term created by scholars for themselves.”
Questions:
- Per Talal Asad, how did religion transform in the European middle ages?
Image credit: Archway at the Alhambra Palace, Wikimedia Commons, CCA 2.0.
