What Happens When We Practice Religion?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wuthnow
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Religious Experiences ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Ordinary Life ◽  
Sacred Spaces ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Arts

Religion is commonly viewed as something that people practice, whether in the presence of others or alone. But what do we mean exactly by “practice”? What approaches help to answer this question? This book delves into the central concepts, arguments, and tools used to understand religion today. Throughout the past few decades, the study of religion has shifted away from essentialist arguments that grandly purport to explain what religion is and why it exists. Instead, using methods from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology, scholars now focus on what people do and say: their daily religious habits, routines, improvisations, and adaptations. The book shows how four intersecting areas of inquiry—situations, intentions, feelings, and bodies—shed important light on religious practice, and it explores such topics as the role of religious experiences in sacred spaces, gendered social relationships, educational settings, the arts, meditation, and ritual. The book provides insights into the diverse ways that religion manifests in ordinary life.

Material Culture and Embodiment in American Religion

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
The Body ◽  
American Religion ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Will

In recent years, the study of religion has undergone a useful materialization in the work of many scholars, who are not inclined to define it in terms of ideas, creeds, or doctrines alone, but want to understand what role sensation, emotion, objects, spaces, clothing, and food have played in religious practice. If the intellect and the will dominated the study of religion dedicated to theology and ethics, the materialization of religious studies has taken up the role of the body, expanding our understanding of it and dismantling our preconceptions, which were often notions inherited from religious traditions. As a result, the body has become a broad register or framework for gauging the social, aesthetic, and practical character of religion in everyday life. The interest in material culture as a primary feature of religion has unfolded in tandem with the new significance of the body and the broad materialization of religious studies.

scholarly journals History Contra Collective Memory: Collective Memory’s Finite Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Premjit Singh Laikhuram ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Collective Memory ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
History Plays ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Historical Representation ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Theoretical Issues ◽  
With Memory

In the humanities and social sciences, with the rise of memory studies, there has been an important theoretical shift in how we engage the past. What used to be studied with the methodically elaborate field of history no longer seems adequate. With memory becoming an ever-present framework with which to look at culture, literature, social phenomena, politics, and the arts, a theoretical conviction has come to prevail that says collective memory is a larger framework within which history and other approaches to the past must be situated. This paper tries to address this theoretical conviction of conflating history with collective memory by arguing that collective memory cannot be a be-all umbrella term encapsulating historical representation or other approaches to the past such as tradition. It does so by uncovering the ground for such a conviction, during which a clearer view of the role of history and the limits of collective memory emerge. The investigation shows that indiscriminate application of the concept of collective memory in every approach dealing with the past makes the concept almost meaningless and betrays its two crucial characters, or limits: that of i) temporal finiteness and ii) fragmentariness. In so doing, it restores the vital role history plays in trying to get at the truth of the past. The article concludes by calling for deeper engagement with foundational conceptual and theoretical issues in collective memory research if it is to establish itself as a longstanding field of inquiry.

scholarly journals Scriptural Reasoning among Jews and Muslims in London: Dynamics of an Inter-Religious Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Van Esdonk ◽  
Gerard Wiegers
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Religious Study ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Dynamic Interaction ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Grassroots Level ◽  
Scriptural Reasoning

Scriptural Reasoning (SR)—the philosophical inter-religious study of foundational religious texts—came into being as an academic practice in the 1990s. In this article, based on empirical research, we analyse how in London over the past decades this practice has gradually been applied by new groups—including as a means for Jewish-Muslim engagement, the focus of our research. We discuss the ways in which the role of the foundational religious texts in SR practices has changed and how Jewish and Muslim initiators and participants at the local level now navigate between academic theological guidelines, daily interactions, and grassroots’ objectives for inter-religious engagement. We argue that SR practices, after having been adapted to community and individual needs and responding to religious and social caveats from different sides, provide a meaningful approach to constructive and dynamic interaction and engagement between Jews and Muslims at a grassroots level.

CSSR: Historical Reflections

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-374
Author(s):  
Paul L Gareau
Keyword(s):  
Religious Studies ◽  
Canadian Society ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
The Past ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Academic Activities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Collaborative Article ◽  
Anniversary Celebration

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion (CCSR), this article provides a reflection on the past, present, and future of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (CSSR). CSSR members were given the space to outline their thoughts and experiences of over 50 years of Religious Studies in Canada. This collaborative article tracks the development of the discipline through the 1970s from theology to comparative religion, to the transformation of the 1980 -90s with an interdisciplinary and critical engagement, to the new millennium infusion of socio-political research, critical self-reflexivity, and lived religion work. We also focus on the role of the CSSR in shaping and promoting Religious Studies in Canada through its various academic activities as well as observing the fragmentation and decline of Religious Studies programs in Canadian universities. And finally, we look to the future questioning how the CSSR and Religious Studies can remain relevant against a backdrop of institutional changes due to funding austerity and the COVID global pandemic to supporting Religious Studies inside and outside of academia. This article is not intended as a detailed history of the CSSR, but an opportunity to see a representation of our experiences and hopes for Religious Studies in Canada.

Meme Machines and the Mills of the Imagination: Science and Supposition in Archaeological Enquiry

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Yildiz Brown
Keyword(s):  
Grey Literature ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Horizons ◽  
Good Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Fruitful Research

Storytelling, it can be argued, is an essential element of the archaeologist’s craft. It is because of the necessity for storytelling that archaeology has one foot in the arts and the other in the sciences. Storytelling is more than interpretation borne of observation and the gathering and testing of evidence. It inevitably brings us as individuals into the reconstructions of the past that we assemble during the course of our work. Yet while it is inevitable that we ‘bring to the ‘‘facts’’ our feelings’, supposition, hypothesis, and theory are not enough. Theoretical constructs are necessary, yet archaeologists are engaged in a constant search to find replacements for those that have failed. Archaeologists, professional and amateur alike, have long agreed in principle that acceptable practice demands good data, well collected, and accurately recorded in order to lend credibility to interpretation. An empirical approach to archaeological research relies on the recording of observable manifestations of culture, reasoning backwards from phenomenon to mechanism. This method of exploring human behaviour directly through observed evidence is not always in vogue but is more satisfying to some archaeologists than juggling conceptual abstractions. Archaeologists are individuals, possessed of distinctive personalities, talents and inclinations. We work differently, see differently, feel differently, but for all that we have a bond of commonality—we all understand imperfectly. Honest dispute engenders scrutiny, inspires exploration and promotes progress in a Weld of investigation in which understanding is imperfect and veriWcation elusive. Debate and challenge are key tools in the advancement of archaeological enquiry and the profession demands that, in the interests of progress, we cast ourselves constantly in the role of devil’s advocate. Honesty dictates, however, that we also acknowledge the sources of our inspiration, the ‘giants’ on whose shoulders we have stood in our search for the new horizons, the building blocks we have used as the basis of our research. Underpinning fruitful research is data, the record of the evidence, in whatever form it takes—the archives of unpublished fieldwork, the mountain of ‘grey literature’ that grows with each passing year, the finds and manuscripts under the bed, the published reports.

scholarly journals Introducing ‘Disruption’ to Acute Religious Experiences: An Interdisciplinary approach to a multidisciplinary problem

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Richard Saville-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Religious Experience ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Religious Experiences ◽  
The Past ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
The Us ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
Meta Analyses

Psychiatry and Religious Studies have common interests in extreme and extraordinary states when articulated in the languages of religions. For Religious Studies the problems with the category of religious experience are philosophical and profound; whilst the resurgence of interest in religion by psychiatrists (three meta-analyses in the past five years) has not repaired the damaging legacy of reductionist interpretations. In this paper I adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the religious experience discourse. From psychiatry I apply the new idea of Disruption, which makes its first appearance in the US psychiatric textbook DSM-5 (APA, 2013); and the older Biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977). From Physiology I apply the language of ‘ictal’ (Adachi, 2002, 2010) to privilege a dynamic idea of time. These concepts involve particular epistemological presuppositions and, as this is an interdisciplinary, rather than a multidisciplinary contribution, these will be critically developed. The approach I propose provides a way of holistically addressing the categories of Mysticism, Possession and Altered States of Consciousness, as acute or extreme categories of experience. I propose that the idea of ‘Disruption’ can act as a pre-interpretive placeholder for a real existential experience which might (or might not) result in a non-pathological diagnosis of religious experience. The outcome depends on the socialisation of interpretation. I hope to show that the idea that there might be alternative interpretations removes the need for a sui generis defence of religious experience. By insisting on a biopsychosocial approach within an ictal framework, a way beyond the linguistic impasse of interpretation is proposed; the essentialism, implicit in the mysticism discourse, is questioned; and the non-medicalisation of Possession confirmed. The limitations of this paper point to the opportunity for further conversations between interested parties, including people with experiences of Disruption.

My Taxes Paid for That?! or Why the Past Is Prologue for Public Arts Funding

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (01) ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
Dana Michael Harsell
Keyword(s):  
Public Funding ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Arts Funding ◽  
Fiscal Discipline ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Arts And Culture ◽  
Balanced Budgets

AbstractRecent efforts to cut public funding for the arts and culture sectors in the United States are couched in the need for balanced budgets and fiscal discipline. Lawmakers who support cuts question whether artistic pursuits such as “cowboy poetry” or artistic endeavors that offend or shock some viewers are an appropriate use of public monies in a depressed economy. While the current debate is grounded in a need for balanced budgets and reduced deficits, long-standing unresolved legacies fragment arts and culture policy and leave arts and culture funding vulnerable to additional cuts. The normative implications for the role of the arts and culture sectors in a democratic society need to be considered.

Masculinities and Media Culture in Indian Bollywood Films

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-24
Author(s):  
Hoimawati Talukdar
Keyword(s):  
Social Behavior ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Women's Studies ◽  
Media Culture ◽  
Women’S Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Role Of Men

Over the past few decades women's studies have centered their attention on the role of media in shaping the attitudes and social behavior of people. The role of men and the trait of masculinity has been considered as the norm and in most cases the portrayal of men in media is seen as unproblematic and exemplary. In view of such a situation it becomes immensely important to not how find out the roles of men in regard to the women but also how men too have problems in constructing the larger gamut of gender as one of the key ingredients of social relationships. This article provides an in-depth study of the role of men, media and society with special attention to the popular Indian cinematic genre of Bollywood.

scholarly journals Embracing the Future as Stewards of the Past: Charting a Course Forward for Historical Medical Libraries and Archives

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Reznick
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
American Academy ◽  
Arts And Sciences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Medical Libraries ◽  
The Media ◽  
Humanities And Social Sciences

In June 2013, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) released The Heart of the Matter, a report on the continuing indispensable role of the humanities and social sciences in meeting major global challenges and urgent national goals. Commissioned by a bipartisan group of senators and representatives and involving more than fifty AAAS members from various sectors—including academia, business, government, the arts, and the media—the report called for renewed commitment to the humanities and social sciences. More specifically, it called for leadership collaborations across a wide array of sectors to meet the urgent goals of: educating Americans . . .

scholarly journals The Role of Comparisons in Judgments of Loneliness

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Arnold ◽  
Heather Barry Kappes ◽  
Eric Klinenberg ◽  
Piotr Winkielman
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
Content Analyses ◽  
Perceived Social Isolation

Loneliness—perceived social isolation—is defined as a discrepancy between existing social relationships and desired quality of relationships. Whereas most research has focused on existing relationships, we consider the standards against which people compare them. Participants who made downward social or temporal comparisons that depicted their contact with others as better (compared to other people’s contact or compared to the past) reported less loneliness than participants who made upward comparisons that depicted their contact with others as worse (Study 1–3). Extending these causal results, in a survey of British adults, upward social comparisons predicted current loneliness, even when controlling for loneliness at a previous point in time (Study 4). Finally, content analyses of interviews with American adults who lived alone showed that social and temporal comparisons about contact with others were both prevalent and linked to expressed loneliness (Study 5). These findings contribute to understanding the social cognition of loneliness, extend the effects of comparisons about social connection to the important public health problem of loneliness, and provide a novel tool for acutely manipulating loneliness.

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