Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion »

A lively critique of the study of religion in the modern academy, one that makes the scholar of religion a cultural critic rather than a caretaker of a religious tradition or a guru dispensing timeless wisdom.

Booknews

McCutheon (religious studies, University of Alabama) argues that the study of religion must be recast as an ordinary aspect of social, historical existence. He presents the scholar not as the caretaker of traditions, but as a critic of cultural practices. Following a general introduction written for a wide audience and a theoretical essay that outlines the basis of an alternative, socio-rhetorical approach to studying religion, the book presents a series of essays addressing the wider theoretical questions of the discipline. It also examines the socio-political role of this brand of critical scholarship. Concluding the work is a consideration of how teachers can address issues of theory and critical thinking in the undergraduate classroom. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)