History of Religion and Bias

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the problems associated with researcher bias when the history of religion is studied at an academic level. The author further explores how religion is studied within a Western academic paradigm and its implications for understanding non-Western cultures. Islam is used as an example of a subject that may require a new approach. The author concludes that minimizing bias therefore remains a core challenge for the historian of religion. To achieve this, historians must exercise responsible scholarship by clearly defining terms at the outset of their research, adopting a lexicon and semantic framework relevant for the study, and by acknowledging and expressing the ideological standpoint from which the research is conducted.

From the Paper:

"Tapper (1995) points out that the anthropology of Islam presumes a Western perspective, rooted in an "application of the methods of cultural/social anthropology to the study of Islam as a world religion," (p. 185). Breaking down this statement makes apparent the challenges to the historian of religion. The history of religion or of any particular religion, like the anthropology of religion, attempts to be scientific in its approach in order to be accepted into the canon of Western academic literature. Thus, the "application of the methods of cultural/social anthropology" infers the application of accepted methodologies, which may include participant/observation in the field of anthropology as Tapper (1995) points out. Historians' methods differ, favoring instead the examination of artifacts or explication of validated primary source texts. Already the historian of religion has a problem, for what constitutes an "artifact" or a "primary source" depends on several intervening factors. Interpretation of historical texts can be especially problematic because not all texts can or should be taken literally; many of the allegories or metaphors within them have lost their original meaning over time; and linguistic or cultural barriers may prevent a complete understanding of the value, import, or impact of those texts on the people under scrutiny. Varisco's (1995) exploration of the tribal lineage of Muhammad emphasizes the importance of adopting the frame of reference most conducive to unbiased understanding. The term "tribe" connotes different things for Muslim and non-Muslim people, and the only way to effectively understand Muslim social structure is to grapple with the Muslim meaning of tribe."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Tapper, R. (1995). 'Islamic anthropology' and the 'Anthropology of Islam'. Anthropological Quarterly. 68(3): 185-193.
• Varisco, D.M. (1995). Metaphors and sacred history: the geneaology of Muhammad and the Arab 'Tribe'. Anthropological Quarterly. 68(3): 139-156.

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