Reasons for religious studies (and/or study of religion)

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by chappy

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/breakin...borg-has-died/

voice of reason in Christian studies. .

An Oxymoron.

"reason" and "religious study" are incompatible.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

An Oxymoron.

"reason" and "religious study" are incompatible.

As in: one is able to reason about religious study?

[davar55]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

An Oxymoron.

"reason" and "religious study" are incompatible.

Fully agree. Religious "study" means studying religion for the purpose
of justifying your faith in your religion, not applying reason to the
lack of evidence and the ultimate contradictions.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by davar55

Fully agree. Religious "study" means studying religion for the purpose
of justifying your faith in your religion, not applying reason to the
lack of evidence and the ultimate contradictions.

A visit to any of the world's top universities would show you that this is not the case.
See, for example, theology and religion at Oxford:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/under...y-and-religion

[davar55]

Originally Posted by Nick

A visit to any of the world's top universities would show you that this is not the case.
See, for example, theology and religion at Oxford:

Why would anyone spend their valuable time studying religions they didn't believe in?

Oops, sorry, wrong thread for this.

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by Nick

"Fully agree. Religious "study" means studying religion for the purpose
of justifying your faith in your religion,"


A visit to any of the world's top universities would show you that this is not the case.
See, for example, theology and religion at Oxford:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/under...y-and-religion

Since "faith" itself is totally irrational, any attempt to apply "reason" in order to justify
it is also similarly irrational. It is doomed to failure.

[kladner]

It seems to me that the study of religion can be seen as being related to those of anthropology, psychology, and mythology. Just because one does not participate in a particular, widespread human behavior does not make the study of that behavior meaningless. Considering the undeniable influence that religions have on the course of human events, it would be foolish to not study them.

[Uncwilly]

It seems that the garden that is this thread could use some tending.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

It seems that the garden that is this thread could use some tending.

Somehow this strayed over from the "A Theism" thread.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

Since "faith" itself is totally irrational, any attempt to apply "reason" in order to justify
it is also similarly irrational. It is doomed to failure.

Serious scholarly study of religions does not attempt rational justification of faith. From the link I gave:

While Theology is a very ancient intellectual discipline, no-one can doubt the earth-shaking significance of religious ideas and commitments in society today. Theological study provides an understanding of the intellectual structures of religions, and of the social and cultural contexts for religious belief and practice...Theology and Religion at Oxford ...[includes]...all the major world religions and the opportunity to learn their primary languages. Students can also examine the relationship between religion and science, and the place of religion and religious ethics in public life. To enjoy studying Theology and Religion you need to be interested in the questions that religions raise and be ready to engage with them from a range of perspectives. This will prepare you to be something of a historian and a philosopher, a textual and literary critic, and a linguist.

[Brian-E]

Originally Posted by davar55

Why would anyone spend their valuable time studying religions they didn't believe in?

I'll give you a personal response here. The mainstream religions and their texts are far too vast as subjects for me to delve into, so I've taken on a somewhat smaller interest: the subject of the paranormal as practised by so-called mediums interests me. While personally convinced that mediums who claim to communicate with the dead, or to be able to predict future events or know facts which they could not know by normal means, are practising deception characterised somewhere on a scale from conjuring tricks to fraud, I am nonetheless fascinated by the way many people want to believe in it all and go and see these mediums to be totally taken in by them. The study of the paranormal is, for me, a study of human psychology, and it fascinates me.

You could similarly, with a lot more investment of time than I am prepared to put in, study Theology from a point of view of looking at the psychology and interaction of the human race without believing in any religion yourself.