Unterscheidungen der Religion : Analysen zum globalen Religionsdiskurs und dem Problem der Differenzierung von 'Religion' in buddhistischen Kontexten des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts

Which distinctions characterize the global discourse of religion? Adrian Hermann proposes a twofold change of perspective in the debate about the eurocentrism of the concept of'religion'and the possible identification of its non-Western equivalents. He argues that the search for such equivalents should be replaced by an analysis of the emergence of hypothetical equivalences in historical processes of translation. On the basis of a distinction between theory-of-religion and discourse-theoretical approaches, Hermann describes'religion'not as a phenomenon, but as a global discourse.'Plurality'and'differentiation'are identified as two central distinctions of religion. In light of this perspective, he investigates discourses of'religion'in the context of Buddhist modernism, especially in 19th century Thailand. Drawing on Niklas Luhmann's world society theory, Hermann concludes the study by discussing the challenges of developing a theory of modernity in Religious Studies and the possibility of writing a'global history of religion'. Which differences characterize the global discourse on religion? In the debate on the Eurocentrism of the concept of religion and the identification of equivalences to "religion" from outside Europe, Adrian Hermann proposes a twofold change of perspective. In place of the search for these equivalences, he suggests an analysis of how these hypothetical equivalences are made into historical translation processes. Starting from a distinction between the perspectives of religion theory and discourse theory, Hermann describes "religion" not as a phenomenon, but as a global discourse. As a result, "plurality" and "differentiation" are shown to be two central differences for religion. Against this background, Hermann deals with religious discourse in the context of Buddhist modernism, especially in 19th-century Thailand. Finally, he places in opposition to a global theory of society Niklas Luhmann's question about the prospects and problems of a religious-studies theory of the modern, along with the possibility fo a global history of religion