Classification Matters or, Why You Should Care About Scholarship on the Category “Religion”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71294/ers.2025.04Keywords:
religion, classification, discourse, critical religion, sui generis, identity, study of religionAbstract
Abstract. This essay critically examines the category of “religion” not as a self-evident or timeless domain of human experience, but as a classification tool with concrete political, legal, and social implications. Drawing on recent scholarship in the critical study of religion, the author argues that the academic field of religious studies has shifted from studying “religion itself” to analyzing how and why certain social phenomena are classified as religious. Through historical examples and legal case studies, including debates over Islam’s status in the United States and the legal redefinition of religious symbols in Europe, this essay demonstrates how labeling something as “religious” or denying it that label can strategically shape social power, identity, and governance. The essay argues that the academic studу of religion should be viewed as a discourse analysis of classification systems and their practical implications, rather than a neutral description of purportedly religious phenomena.
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