Disciplines
• History
• Social Studies
• Social Sciences
History and religion: Religion has
shaped much in the way of world history on
every continent, from the beginning of recorded
time. It has led and suppressed the search
for information; been the impetus for and
result of conquest; provided guidance for
civic laws and engagement; and defined national
identities.
Perhaps the greatest benefit
the Center on Religion & the Professions can provide is lending
historical background to current problems
concerning religion and public life. Education
about history and religion is important
in helping people to become more aware of
religious faiths in their workplace and
in the public arena. Understanding why we
sometimes have biases toward or against
certain faiths or cultures is often steeped
in historical patterns, and identifying
those for the purpose of education is useful.
Religion and study of
history: A hot topic in religious scholarship
is the influence of non-religious researchers.
Much has been made of the Jesus Seminar,
for example, which brought together scholars
for the purpose of determining what actually
happened in the life of Jesus. Religious
scholars, who operate upon religious presuppositions,
tend to object to purely naturalistic inquiry
of a topic that deals with the supernatural.
Bridging the gap in scholarship, as well
as in public life, is one possible avenue
of research.
Social studies:
Those aiming to teach social studies in
primary and secondary education can help
inform new generations of youth about an
increasingly complex world - made more complex
by growing diversity in religion, culture,
ethnicity and national identity brought
close to home by global communication and
national events. Incorporating pertinent
religious background and impact on history,
geography, economics, civics, psychology,
anthropology and world religions (see related
links) provides students with a better understanding
of past and current events and the complex
world in which we live.
Interdisciplinary work:
The Center offers chances to link social
science inquiry with those in other departments.
Historical research or social science research
can be combined with other disciplines to
produce innovative research into how religion
interacts with public life. Much of religious
tradition has historical background that
it brings to any public interaction, and
identifying those traits is important.
The Center's affiliation
with the School of Journalism gives the
social science researcher unique opportunities
for study. Much of the work being done in
journalism research is in the area of social
science, utilizing MU's PRIME lab to conduct
research into how people cognitively and
emotionally process media. The Center can
help partner researchers to do unique studies
to answer social science questions. The
Center's partnership with the School of
Journalism can also help link historical
researchers to ways in which journalists
can be better trained in history and religion,
better perform their jobs, and increase
public understanding of complex issues.
Current issues:
Much of what occurs in the world today needs
historical background for better understanding.
Religious and cultural conflicts in the
Middle East and other parts of the world
are based on historical factors, which often
have religious ties. Researchers can study
the impact of historical knowledge on people's
perceptions of current events, or more deeply
research past events to provide broader
insight in the present day. Researchers
could track the influence of religion on
historical development over time and map
an arc for present religious influence on
the future. They may be interested in interdisciplinary
study in specific fields that are informed
by history and religion.
History
of Religions
International
Review for the History of Religions
Journal
of the American Academy of Religion
Religion,
State & Society
Church
History
Annual
Review of the Social Sciences of Religion
Journal
of Hellenic Studies
Journal
of Religion & Society
Worldviews:
Environment, Culture, Religion
Religion & the Public Order
Sociology
of Religion
Journal
of Ritual Studies
American
Academy of Religion Syllabi Search
History
of Religion in America
Samuel Pearson
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Religion
in American History
Paul Harris
Moorhead State University
American Academy of Religion
Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations
Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America
Association of Professional Jewish Genealogists
Christian Academics
Conference on Faith & History
• See a full list of professional associations and resources here.
|
