This essay explores three types of religious studies (RS) by examining
current academic trends and key faculty members of the departments of
religious studies in four major Scottish Universities: Edinburgh, Aberdeen,
Glasgow, and Stirling.
First, mentioning the tension between RS and theology, I analyze two
contrasting historiographies of the British Academy and the British
Association of Study of Religions. The former locates RS at the margin of
theological studies, whereas the latter emphasizes the autonomous status of
RS.
Second, I summarize the past contributions of Scottish RS scholars such
as F. McLennan, W. R. Smith, J. Frazer, A. Lang, J. Legge, J. N. Farquhr,
W. M. Watt, and D. B. MacDonald. It should be noted that it was not
in Scotland but outside Scotland that they played an important role in
making creative ideas for RS.
Third, the RS in Edinburgh started from its theological faculty and
evolved into a major field under the College of Humanities and Social
Sciences. Religionism and globalism are two main characteristics of the RS in Edinburgh, which applies phenomenological and theological approaches
to the study of religion. After the closure in the late 1980s, the renewed
RS in Aberdeen and Glasgow uses the reductive approaches to the study
of religion, including social science and theology. Without th influence of
confessing theology, the RS in Stirling debunks the Western concept of
religion and proposes the contextual and cultural studies based on field
works.
In conclusion, these three types of RS in Scotland will develope better
models for the study of religious phenomena on their own terms.
This essay explores three types of religious studies (RS) by examining
current academic trends and key faculty members of the departments of
religious studies in four major Scottish Universities: Edinburgh, Aberdeen,
Glasgow, and Stirling.
First, mentioning the tension between RS and theology, I analyze two
contrasting historiographies of the British Academy and the British
Association of Study of Religions. The former locates RS at the margin of
theological studies, whereas the latter emphasizes the autonomous status of
RS.
Second, I summarize the past contributions of Scottish RS scholars such
as F. McLennan, W. R. Smith, J. Frazer, A. Lang, J. Legge, J. N. Farquhr,
W. M. Watt, and D. B. MacDonald. It should be noted that it was not
in Scotland but outside Scotland that they played an important role in
making creative ideas for RS.
Third, the RS in Edinburgh started from its theological faculty and
evolved into a major field under the College of Humanities and Social
Sciences. Religionism and globalism are two main characteristics of the RS in Edinburgh, which applies phenomenological and theological approaches
to the study of religion. After the closure in the late 1980s, the renewed
RS in Aberdeen and Glasgow uses the reductive approaches to the study
of religion, including social science and theology. Without th influence of
confessing theology, the RS in Stirling debunks the Western concept of
religion and proposes the contextual and cultural studies based on field
works.
In conclusion, these three types of RS in Scotland will develope better
models for the study of religious phenomena on their own terms.