Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion (Suny Series, Issues in the Study of Religion)

Critics Not Caretakers argues that the study of religion must be rethought as an ordinary aspect of social, historical existence, a stance that makes the scholar of religion a critic of cultural practices rather than a caretaker of religious tradition or a font of timeless wisdom. From a general introduction written for a wide audience and a theoretical essay that outlines the basis of an alternative, socio-rhetorical approach to studying religion, the book moves on to a series of dispatches from the theory wars, each of which uses the work of such writers as Karen Armstrong, Walter Burkert, and Benson Saler as a point of entry into wider theoretical issues of importance to the field's future. The author then examines the socio-political role of this brand of critical scholarship—a role that differs dramatically from the type of sympathetic caretaking generally associated with scholars of religion who feel compelled to'go public.'Concluding the work is a consideration of how scholars as teachers can address issues of theory and critical thinking in the undergraduate classroom. Written with verve, Critics Not Caretakers provides a viable alternative for all those dissatisfied with the covertly political, liberal humanist approach that currently dominates the study of religion. Pt. I Redescribing Religion As Something Ordinary Ch. 1 More Than A Shapeless Beast: Lumbering Through The Academy With The Study Of Religion 3 Ch. 2 Redescribing 'religion' As Social Formation: Toward A Social Theory Of Religion 21 Pt. Ii Dispatches From The Theory Wars Ch. 3 Writing A History Of God: Just The Same Game Wherever You Go 43 Ch. 4 Explaining The Sacred: Theorizing On Religion In The Late Twentieth Century 57 Ch. 5 We're All Stuck Somewhere: Taming Ethnocentrism And Transcultural Understandings 73 Ch. 6 The Economics Of Spiritual Luxury: The Glittering Lobby And The World's Parliament Of Religions 85 Ch. 7 My Theory Of The Brontosaurus ... : Postmodernism And Theory Of Religion 103 Pt. Iii Culture Critics And Caretakers Ch. 8 A Default Of Critical Intelligence? The Scholar Of Religion As Public Intellectual 125 Ch. 9 Talking Past Each Other: The Issue Of Public Intellectuals Revisited 145 Pt. Iv Going Public: Teaching Theory Ch. 10 Our Special Promise As Teachers: Scholars Of Religion And The Politics Of Tolerance 155 Ch. 11 Redescribing Religion And ... Film: Teaching The Insider/outsider Problem 179 Ch. 12 Methods And Theories In The Classroom: Teaching The Study Of Myths And Rituals 201 Ch. 13 Theorizing In The Introductory Course: A Survey Of Resources 217 Pt. V Afterword. Russell T. Mccutcheon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-256) And Index. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Copyright Permissions Part I: Redescribing Religion as Something Ordinary 1 More Than a Shapeless Beast: Lumbering through the Academy with the Study of Religion 2 Redescribing ‘Religion’ as Social Formation: Toward a Social Theory of Religion Part II: Dispatches from the Theory Wars 3 Writing a History of God: “Just the Same Game Wherever You Go” 4 Explaining the Sacred: Theorizing on Religion inthe Late Twentieth Century 5 “We’re All Stuck Somewhere”: Taming Ethnocentrism and Transcultural Understandings 6 The Economics of Spiritual Luxury: The Glittering Lobby and the World’s Parliament of Religions 7 “My Theory of the Brontosaurus . . .”: Postmodernism and “Theory” of Religion Part III: Culture Critics and Caretakers 8 A Default of Critical Intelligence? The Scholar of Religion as Public Intellectual 9 Talking Past Each Other: The Issue of Public Intellectuals Revisited Part IV: Going Public: Teaching Theory 10 Our “Special Promise” as Teachers: Scholars of Religion and the Politics of Tolerance 11 Redescribing “Religion and . . Film: Teachingthe Insider/Outsider Problem 12 Methods and Theories in the Classroom: Teaching the Study of Myths and Rituals 13 Theorizing in the Introductory Course: A Survey of Resources Part V: Afterword Afterword References Index "It argues that the study of religion must be rethought as an ordinary aspect of social, historical existence, a stance that makes the scholar of religion a critic of cultural practices rather than a caretaker of religious tradition or a font of timeless wisdom. The book moves on to a series of dispatches from the theory wars, each of which uses the work of such writers as Karen Armstrong, Walter Burkert, adn Benson Saler as a point of entry into wider theoretical issues of importance to the field's future." A lively critique of the study of religion in the modern academy, one that makes the scholar of religion a cultural critic rather than a caretaker of a religious tradition or a guru dispensing timeless wisdom.