16. Sociology in Sociology of Religion

The institutional positioning of the topic is an issue. The risk of insulation and isolation is more imminent when the subject is placed in a small, humanistic department led by a strong inner authority. The re-organization of the subject in larger, multidisciplinary departments may open for interdisciplinary approaches, which involved the social sciences. However, it may also open for a-disciplinary approaches, attempting to avoid disciplinary restraints by being a jack of all trades.

The placing of the subject at humanistic rather than sociological departments involves a double risk. On the one hand, studies of the subject at a humanistic department may not be theoretically and methodologically up to date, or the analysis may lack the consistency provided by a sociological schooling.

The latter point can be illustrated by studies where theory and methods do not correspond, and the conclusion is therefore inconclusive. On the other hand, the study of sociology may become oblivious to the relevance of religion or reductionistic in their approach. The former tendency can be illustrated by sociological studies where the religious self-understanding of the agents is disregarded and presented as ‘sub-culture’ or ‘ethnicity’.

The latter may be illustrated by studies where ‘religious’ variables are treated as behavioural indicators – such as church membership or service attendance – without considering their meaning for the agents. So, the risk of insulation and isolation is a dual problem. It is especially problematic when parallel humanistic and sociological studies of a shared problem are performed without an academic cross-fertilization due to institutional restraints.

Session chairperson

Ole Riis

Contact

Ole Riis
olepriis@gmail.com