The current Conflict of the Faculties and the future of the study of religion/s. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fujiwara, Satoko
• Is Part Of: Religion. Volume 50:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 53
• Page End: 59
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Basic/pure and applied research -- social relevance -- national policy for science -- academic freedom; Religion -- Periodicals; Religions -- Periodicals; Theology -- Periodicals; Religion -- Périodiques; Théologie -- Périodiques; Religion; Religions; Theology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 200.5
• DOI: 10.1080/0048721X.2019.1681095
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-721X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The future of the study of religion/s cannot be aptly discussed without considering the future of all academic studies (the humanities, social and natural sciences). Based on my experience as a board member of the Science Council of Japan, I argue that there are two major urgent challenges that are shared by, but not unique to, academic studies conducted in Japan: namely, how and to what degree to meet demands for social relevance; and what to do with the Euro-Western model of modern sciences. I will focus on the former, which stems from the relationships between scholarship and state governance. Scholars of religion/s may miss opportunities to contribute to interdisciplinary debates if they continue identifying applied studies primarily with theology or interfaith enterprises, while being satisfied with neo-empiricism.