Writing History, Constructing Religion presents a much-needed interdisciplinary exploration of the significance of debates among historians, scholars of religion and cultural theorists over the 'nature' of history to the study of religion. The distinguished authors discuss issues related to definitions of history, postmodernism, critical theory, and the impact on the study and analysis of religious traditions; exploring the application of writing 'history from below', discussions of 'truth' and 'objectivity' as opposed to power and ideology, crises of representation, and the place of theory in the 'historicized' study of religion(s).
Addressing conceptual debates in a wide range of historical and empirical contexts, the authors critically engage with issues including religious nationalism, Nazism, Islam and the West, secularism, religion in post-Communist Russia, ethnicity and post modernity. This book constitutes a significant step towards the self-reflexive and interdisciplinary study of religions in history.
Table of Contents:
Contents: Part I Introduction: Writing history, constructing religion, James G. Crossley and Christian Karner; Defining religion, James G. Crossley; Postmodernism and the study of religions, Christian Karner. Part II Writing History, Constructing Religion: On 'religion': speeches to its cultural despisers, Philip Goodchild; Postmodernism before and after: the fate of secularization, Alan Aldridge; The crisis of representation in Islamic studies, Hugh Goddard; Living yesterday in today and tomorrow: Meskhetian Turks in southern Russia, Kathryn Tomlinson; Who's afraid of Jesus Christ? Some comments on attempts to write a life of Jesus, Maurice Casey; History from the margins: the death of John the Baptist, James G. Crossley; 'If Isaac could speak…': redefining sacrifice, Maria Varsam; Ideological 'destructuring' in myth, history and memory, Seth Kunin; Writing Hindutva history, constructing nationalist religion, Christian Karner. Index.
About the Author :
Dr James G. Crossley is from Madingley Hall and Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations at the University of Cambridge, UK. Dr Christian Karner is from the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham, UK. Alan Aldridge, Maurice Casey, Hugh Goddard, Philip Goodchild, Seth Kunin, Kathryn Tomlinson, Maria Varsam.
Review :
'In a creative and imaginative way, this book brings the question of history into the critical theory debate but with a direct application to religious contexts, themes and topics. It is, in a sense a kind of reappraisal of an approach to the history of religions, combining contributions from extremely able younger scholars with established authors.' Professor Douglas Davies, Durham University, UK '... this book will be useful for students who study social theory as many chapters demonstate how to apply theory to actual cases.' Culture and Religion
