Overview

Making critical theory on ‘religion’ accessible to students and skeptics, this Practical Guide showcases its relevance and usefulness for research and teaching on all sorts of contemporary subjects. Why do many scholars now doubt that ‘religion’ is a useful concept for understanding aspects of our world? What’s wrong with describing things as ‘religious’ or ‘non-religious’? Why does it matter, and what can we do about it? The book begins with a toolkit of concepts and methods for doing Critical Religion. Part I provides a roadmap to navigate this critical turn in religious studies and its implications across disciplines. In Part II, we hear from three influential theorists on the importance of being critical about ‘religion’ and the ‘secular’, and what it means to them. Then in Part III we see these insights put into practice: eight pioneering scholars present case studies that show how they have applied critical approaches in their own fields. Each case highlights ways in which Critical Religion has enriched their empirical research or how they think about teaching. Through a diverse sample of cutting-edge scholarship, this book demonstrates what Critical Religion means in action. It includes perspectives on history, anthropology, sociology, political science and education, with cases representing research in contexts from Japan to the Middle East to Europe and North America.

Full Product Details

Author:   Alexander Henley (Institute of Islamic Studies, UK)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.60cm
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9781350256460

ISBN 10:   1350256463
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   02 April 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Preface: ‘Critical religion’ and the purpose of this book, Alexander Henley (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK) Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements Part 1: Introducing critical religion: A toolkit of critiques, methods and trajectories 1. What is wrong with the category ‘religion’ and what can we do about it?, Alexander Henley (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK) 2. What is critical religion? Past, present and future of critical scholarship, Alexander Henley (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK) Part 2: Perspectives on being critical about ‘religion’ and the ‘secular’ 3. The Reluctant Genealogist: Why it matters where our terms come from, Aaron W. Hughes (University of Rochester, UK) 4. Classification matters: Why you should care about scholarship on the category religion, Russell T. McCutcheon (University of Alabama, USA) 5. The Ideology of Religious Studies then and now: The author’s view, Timothy Fitzgerald (University of Kent, UK) Part 3: Applying critical approaches in the field 6. The projection of ‘religion’ upon Japan by the United States since the 1850s, Mitsutoshi Horii (Shumei University, Japan) 7. Religionization of minorities and culturalization of Christianity in Europe: How to study boundary cases?, Teemu Taira (University of Helsinki, Finland) 8. Researching ‘religion’ in Indigenous cultures, Suzanne Owen (Leeds Trinity University, UK) 9. Managing ‘faith’ in a late modern state: ‘Time for Reflection’ in the Scottish Parliament, Steven J. Sutcliffe (University of Edinburgh, UK) 10. Thinking outside of the ‘religion and politics’ duality: The Jewish-Israeli case, Yaacov Yadgar (University of Oxford, UK) 11. The category of religion in the technology of governance: An argument for understanding religions as vestigial states, Naomi Goldenberg (University of Ottawa, Canada) 12. The implications of critical religion for (gendered) Religious Education, Alison Jasper (Independent scholar, UK) and John I’Anson (University of Stirling, UK) Index

Reviews

What can you do with theory? This accessible volume shows how the multiple approaches of critical religion generate new insights when applied to a range of contemporary and historical topics. A great resource for scholars and students with its engaging and constructive overview and applications of critical religion. * Steven Ramey, University of Alabama, USA * Bringing together influential voices interrogating the theoretical and methodological premises and foundations of the study of religion as a field of scholarly inquiry with case studies that put these points of departure to the test, this book is a timely publication in a time when the uncritical use of religion features so prominently in one-dimensional identity politics across the globe. * Carool Kersten, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium * This book is an essential entry point for anyone grappling with the question of how the concept of religion functions in our world today. Bridging theory and practice, it maps current debates while showing how critical approaches can transform both research and teaching on religion. * Lauren Horn Griffin, Louisiana State University, USA *

Author Information

Alexander Henley leads a graduate programme in Islamic Studies at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, UK, and is an associate member of The Faculty of Theology & Religion, University of Oxford, UK.

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