OxBlog

Saturday, April 10, 2004

# Posted 2:55 PM by Ariel David Adesnik  

OXBLOG TO HINDUS -- WE FEEL YOUR PAIN: The WaPo reports that
[Prof.] Courtright was not the first to find Oedipal overtones in the Ganesha story. But his book became a rallying point for devout Hindus in the United States who say the academic study of their religion is completely at odds with the way they experience their faith.
The academic study of Christianity and Judaism also tend to be completely at odds with the way tens of millions of Christians and Jews experience their faith. For that matter, the academic study of politics is entirely at odds with the way most Americans experience politics.

As the son of a religious studies professor, however, I endorse the academic study of religion wholeheartedly. It constantly provides thoughful perspectives on one's faith that, at minimum, provoke informative debates. At best, such perspectives enrich the faith with their insights. And in the absence of contrarian perspectives, the faith tends to become inbred and stagant.

If you don't like what the academicians have to say, you can always treat their work the way actual politicians treat the work of political scientists: Just ignore it.
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