Religion or Religious Studies: What Difference Does it Make?

Abstract

Unique among other disciplines in the academy, religion is almost exclusively approached as an object of study. Study of religion becomes study about religion. This approach, where religion becomes religious studies, is the product of the science-based Wissenschaft principle, which is often perceived to be wholly objective, without presupposition, and value-free. However, a post- modern critique shows that this principle itself is really none of these. This paper represents a call for re-orienting our approach to religion in the academy. Using a specific case at a specific institution - a historically Black, church-related liberal arts college - we will develop an approach in which the discipline of religion becomes subject of study: study of religion becomes study by religion. We will show that such an approach is not only possible in the academy, but also desirable.