Reflexive Scholarship: Positionality and Bias in the Study of Religion
How do a scholar’s personal beliefs and commitments shape how they teach and write about their object of their study? This is a particularly important question for scholars in the fields of theology and religious studies. Some scholars see themselves as working within a tradition and having a personal investment in illuminating the various aspects of the tradition to its adherents. Other scholars see themselves as having a more “objective” approach, seeking to study religious traditions and their histories, practices, beliefs, and social structures from an outsider’s perspective.
One of the questions that has been raised in the field of religious studies is the role of a scholar's personal commitments in teaching and studying religion. Does a scholar of Islam have to also be a practioner of Islam in order to properly teach and write? Or, can a Christian or Jew also write and teach about Islam in a way that accurately represents a tradition? Temple University’s department of religion, founded in the 1960s, operated with the former assumption. The belief was that only Muslims could teach about Islam well, only Hindus could teach about Hinduism well. Because of this approach, Temple’s religion department emerged as a creative center for the development of the theory and practice of interreligious dialogue. You can read about the history of the department HERE.
In most religious studies departments today in the U.S. and Europe, there is less of an expectation that scholars of religious studies actually be “religious” scholars themselves, meaning that they are personally practicing the traditions they study. Today, It is widely recognized in the academy that scholars can and do make important contributions to the study of traditions that are not their own, even if there is public skepticism about the approach. Click HERE to read about a 2013 debate on Fox News about Reza Aslan (a Muslim) writing a historical biography of Jesus.
Whatever one’s position is on the argument above, scholars should seek to understand the various biases and assumptions that we bring to the study of religion. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that social scientists should take a reflexive approach, recognizing that scholars must recognize the connection between the researcher and the research. Contemporary scholars have increasingly highlighted the importance of interrogating positionality, particularly in the study of religion. As a tool for personal reflection, scholars ought to examine their own motivations in their research. Is my scholarship trying to offer a defense of my faith? Am I trying to persuade others that religious adherence should be abandoned in light of scientific thinking? All scholars have motivations, the key is to acknowledge them. With humility, we have to realize that none of us have a monopoly on truth. Therefore, as Leonard Swidler says so well, dialogue is required.
It is with that spirit that in 2019, the SUSI Scholar program created a panel discussion titled “The Life of the Scholar and the Journey of Faith.” Panelists were asked to respond to the following questions:
What led me to pursue the academic study of religion?
How has the pursuit of academic scholarship shaped my own personal engagement with spirituality/religion?
How do my personal religious commitments or views affect the way I research or teach about religion?
Below is a brief description of the participating panelists:
Christopher Driscoll, Lehigh University, Email: cmd413@lehigh.edu
Driscoll is a white male who grew up in a conservative Protestant community in Louisiana, but he no longer identifies with Christianity. He teaches at a private university in Bethlehem, PA.
Howard Dean Trulear, Howard University School of Divinity
Trulear is an African American male who grew up in Baptist churches. He is trained as a sociologist of religion but he also serves as a pastor of a church. He teaches at a divinity school connected to a historical black university. His students are typically preparing to become pastors or other faith leaders.
Lia Howard, Eastern University, Email: lia.howard@eastern.edu
A white woman who teaches political science at Eastern University, which is a liberal arts college with a distinct focus on Chrisitan faith development as part of the curriculum.
Readings/Resources
Driscoll, Christopher and Monica Miller. Method as Identity: Manufacturing Distance in the Academic Study of Religion. Rowman and Littlefield, 2018.
