From Comparative to Connected Religion: Translocal Aspects of Orientalism and the Study of Religion
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UNIL restricted access
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: All rights reserved
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State: Public
Version: Author's accepted manuscript
License: Not specified
Serval ID
serval:BIB_3E535A204E20
Type
A part of a book
Publication sub-type
Chapter: chapter ou part
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
From Comparative to Connected Religion: Translocal Aspects of Orientalism and the Study of Religion
Title of the book
Translocal Lives and Religion: Connections between Asia and Europe in the Late Modern World
Publisher
Equinox
Address of publication
Sheffield, Bristol
ISBN
9781781795828
Publication state
Published
Issued date
01/02/2021
Editor
Bornet Philppe
Pages
3-32
Language
english
Abstract
Introducing the notion of “connected history” and situating it among other related approaches (“global history,” “comparative history,” “entangled history,” “cultural transfers,” etc.), the chapter examines the potentialities as well as the challenges it presents for the comparative study of religions. Building on recent considerations about a critical “comparative religion,” it is argued that a “connected religion” approach has the potential to both criticize classical taxonomies and construct alternative ways to think about concepts and practices about religion. In order to assess the approach, two examples are introduced and contrasted: Looking at F.M. Müller’s involvement with Bengali (Dwarkanath Tagore, Debendranath Tagore, Keshub Chandra Sen), Marathi (Behramji Malabari) and Japanese scholars (Nanjo Bunyu and Kenjiu Kasawara), it is argued that the orientalist project is not only better understood when re-contextualized in this global context, but that it also had consequences beyond the scholarly world, offering opportunities to all involved actors. The second example explores the encounter of a Swiss missionary, Jakob Urner, with specialists of the Vīraśaiva literatures such as Channappa Uttangi. In so doing, attention is paid to the often discordant and oppositional dynamics constitutive of political and religious processes, to the development of scholarly representations (mainstream or marginal), and to their impact on the study of religions as an academic discipline. It is also suggested that such an approach is better carried out in a collaborative framework, since it generally involves dealing with sources that stem from various cultural, institutional or linguistic backgrounds.
Keywords
Connected history, Connected religion, Comparison, Max Müller, Orientalism, Asia and Europe
Create date
17/04/2019 16:47
Last modification date
06/07/2022 6:35