Genealogy of Religion

Exploring the Origins, History and Future of Religion

Entries Tagged as 'authenticity'

Interview with Professor Craig Martin

January 31st, 2011 · 2 Comments · Classifications, Definitions, Methodology, Philosophy, Power

Craig Martin is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at St. Thomas Aquinas College. He has published several articles (links below) and a recent book, Masking Hegemony: A Genealogy of Liberalism, Religion and the Private Sphere. Craig is also active in the blogging community and is editor of the Bulletin for the Study of Religion.
I [...]

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Situating and Constructing “Islam”

October 7th, 2010 · No Comments · Axial Age, Definitions, History, Philosophy

Over at Religion Bulletin, the always informative Craig Martin alerts us to the work of Aaron W. Hughes and conducts a thought provoking interview with Hughes.  Their topic is “Islam” and I encourage everyone to read it as a palliative to the kind of glib talk about essentialized “Islam” that dominates the news, blog posts [...]

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Harlem Worship as Tourist Commodity

September 22nd, 2010 · No Comments · Economy, Globalization

Over at Slate, Jeremy Stahl has written a fabulous piece — Inside the Bizarre Tourist Trade at Harlem’s Sunday Church Services — that will greatly interest cultural anthropologists.  The article hits on several hot button concepts for culturals — tourism, commoditization, race, authenticity, tradition, identity, ritual, gazing, etc.  Sensing these issues, Stahl is reluctant:

Though I [...]

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A Certain Kind of Islam and the Heinous Oppression of Women

July 31st, 2010 · 2 Comments · Classifications, Methodology, Morality, Power

Not long ago, I discussed an article on Islam by Cynthia Boaz.  In her article, Boaz attempted to correct several misconceptions regarding Islam and presented us with a progressive, liberal, and tolerant interpretation of Islam.  While there are Muslims outside of the US who interpret Islam in the way Boaz does, there are also Muslims [...]

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The Hydra Head of Islam

July 22nd, 2010 · 2 Comments · Axial Age, Globalization, History, Philosophy

Over at HuffPo Religion, Cynthia Boaz has written an earnest piece that implores Americans to think harder about Islam and not simply demonize it.  I agree with much of what she says but the unfortunate fact is that her plea will fall on few or deaf ears.  Not many religious or political extremists are reading [...]

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