What is it about?
Studying Hinduism in the North American Academy -- where the study of Christianity still dominates -- is challenging. This paper presents some of these structural problems, analyzing how they sideline scholars who study Hinduism. It also shows how the soft inclusion of Christian theology creates harmful models for political and Orientalist ideas to undercut incisive studies of Hinduism. The paper suggests some ways that Religious Studies can do better to accommodate the critical study of diverse traditions.
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Why is it important?
Religious Studies claims to cover many religious traditions, but in practice it privileges Christianity and Christian theology. We must change this if we are to honestly and critically study non-Christian traditions, such as Hinduism, and incorporate those studies into broader Religious Studies scholarship.
Perspectives
Diversity and inclusion is critical to making and understanding our world going forward.
Dr Audrey Truschke
Rutgers University Newark
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Hearing Hindu Stories, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, January 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15700682-bja10100.
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