Carlon RobbinsWhiteville, NCHumanities, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies, and Critical and Queer Theory Scholar.
My expertise stems from several experiences. First, my mother was always rather devout, and I grew up in a conservative, fundamentalist Christian home. Second, my natural curious and questioning personality had me thinking deep and tough spiritual questions as a young child. Third, when I was around seventeen, I delved deeply into my own, personal, independent studies of religions. Fourth, I was a self-taught, practicing Buddhist and Yog(ini) for four years. I dare to say that I have had my own “religious experiences,” but I would not call myself religious at all. Last, but not least, I also formally studied, as both an undergraduate and graduate student, and I taught courses in Religious Studies, as a college professor.
Religious Studies is an academic field of study devoted to research and analysis of religious beliefs, behaviors, traditions, rituals, sacred texts, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, explains analyzes, evaluates, and critiques religion, emphasizing systematic interdisciplinary approaches and cross-cultural perspectives.
Unlike Theology, Religious Studies takes a more scientific and objective approach, independent of any religious viewpoints, with theories and methodologies from anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, history, socio-political thought, and even economics. Two major theoretical and methodological approaches are Functionalism and Phenomenology, with many others.
Religious studies originated in 19th century Europe, with historical, literary, Hermeneutical, philosophical, and anthropological analyses of the Bible began to emerge, and Hindu and Buddhist sacred texts were first being translated into European languages.
Much like Queer Theory and Cultural studies, approaches to Religious Studies are also drawn from Semiotics, Marxism, feminist theory, poststructuralism, postcolonialism, social theory, political theory, history, philosophy, literary theory, and political economy, even Neurology.
