Klo 16.00 kuuntelemaan luentoa: Religion and Non Religion in the Emerging Field of ‘Non-Religion’ Studies Professor James L. Cox, University of Edinburgh ‘Non-Religion Studies’, as a distinct field in its own right, as apart from studies in secularism and the new atheism, has been developing among scholars of religion over the last ten years, as evidenced by the establishment of the Non-Religion and Secularity Network. Leaders in this field, such as Lois Lee of University College London, insist that non-religion as a category conveys a positive meaning and, although seen in relation to religion, should not simply be understood as opposing religion. This paper supports this view, but does so by arguing that it is impossible to speak about the impact of non-religion on society without first defining what it negates. In order to make a space for non-religion studies, therefore, it is first necessary to agree on what is meant by religion. After proposing that religion consists primarily of identifiable communities that transmit their traditions with an overwhelming authority, non-religion is then presented as the study of forces in society that are marked by lack of community, the pursuit of individual interests and assertions of relativity towards epistemological or ethical authority.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 12:49:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015