Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
What class did you take? Individual classes won't necessarily have that mandate, but when you start taking multiple classes on the nature of religions, new religious movements, etc. I expected the curriculum to challenge that which it studies. I think when a Religious Studies professor gets his/her doctorate they adopt something akin to Star Trek's Prime Directive of not interfering with the internal development of the religions in which they study.
|
Religious studies in Western secular Academia is more of an objective study of world religions in relation to historical, cultural, anthropological, and philosophical aspects of human societies. It is not the job of the academic or the curriculum to take an un-objective or critical view of the religion in the way you are seeking.
If you are searching for some sort of ontological/pseudo scientific truth or criticism of religion, you are looking in the wrong place. You're not going to find a "what's wrong with Christianity" or "what's wrong with Islam" 101 in a religious studies curriculum. I agree however, that more religious studies faculties should have the balls to try this.
You might however, find that in a U of C political science (and other Humanities) courses however, as I can attest. Interestingly enough, you'll also probably encounter what you are searching for in Theology and Apologetics courses at religious academic institutions as their purpose is to educate their students on how defend their religion against criticism.
I found that having a broader focus (political science, economics, sociology, psychology, history, etc.) tends to actually focus your mind and allow you to identify the common threads of humanity behind human nature which are really the same motivations behind political, economic, and religious beliefs and their positive/negative impacts on society rather than simply taking religious studies courses.