Les sciences des religions acceptèrent l’universalité de la religion comme une prémisse indéniable dès sa fondation. Néanmoins, certaines réserves peuvent être émises. Cette thèse poursuit la problématisation de l’universalité de la religion, entamée par un groupe d’auteurs de la critical religion, et oriente la réflexion sur les conditions d’intelligibilité de cette croyance par l’entremise d’une analyse discursive déconstructiviste contextualisant l’universalité de la religion dans son épistémè. Plus précisément, cette thèse propose que la croyance en l’universalité de la religion soit supportée par des réseaux de croyances métaphysiques et ontologiques. La déconstruction des conditions d’intelligibilité du concept de l’universalité, juxtaposée à celle de la réification de la religion, expose des jeux de langage délimités et circonscrits par une ontologie moderne. Ces jeux de langage ontologiques sont déployés par des démarcations radicales où des séries dichotomiques, le sujet et l’objet par exemple, circonscrivent les discours dans une clôture métaphysique. Bref, cette thèse déconstruit le signifié transcendantal « religion » et expose les conditions d’intelligibilité de l’universalité de la religion, c’est-à-dire les jeux de langage ontologiques modernes étroitement tissés et calqués sur l’ontologie classique où les discours auxquels la grande majorité des approches en sciences des religions adhèrent puisent leur intelligibilité.

Les sciences des religions acceptèrent l’universalité de la religion comme une prémisse indéniable dès sa fondation. Néanmoins, certaines réserves peuvent être émises. Cette thèse poursuit la problématisation de l’universalité de la religion, entamée par un groupe d’auteurs de la critical religion, et oriente la réflexion sur les conditions d’intelligibilité de cette croyance par l’entremise d’une analyse discursive déconstructiviste contextualisant l’universalité de la religion dans son épistémè. Plus précisément, cette thèse propose que la croyance en l’universalité de la religion soit supportée par des réseaux de croyances métaphysiques et ontologiques. La déconstruction des conditions d’intelligibilité du concept de l’universalité, juxtaposée à celle de la réification de la religion, expose des jeux de langage délimités et circonscrits par une ontologie moderne. Ces jeux de langage ontologiques sont déployés par des démarcations radicales où des séries dichotomiques, le sujet et l’objet par exemple, circonscrivent les discours dans une clôture métaphysique. Bref, cette thèse déconstruit le signifié transcendantal « religion » et expose les conditions d’intelligibilité de l’universalité de la religion, c’est-à-dire les jeux de langage ontologiques modernes étroitement tissés et calqués sur l’ontologie classique où les discours auxquels la grande majorité des approches en sciences des religions adhèrent puisent leur intelligibilité.

Les sciences des religions acceptèrent l’universalité de la religion comme une prémisse indéniable dès sa fondation. Néanmoins, certaines réserves peuvent être émises. Cette thèse poursuit la problématisation de l’universalité de la religion, entamée par un groupe d’auteurs de la critical religion, et oriente la réflexion sur les conditions d’intelligibilité de cette croyance par l’entremise d’une analyse discursive déconstructiviste contextualisant l’universalité de la religion dans son épistémè. Plus précisément, cette thèse propose que la croyance en l’universalité de la religion soit supportée par des réseaux de croyances métaphysiques et ontologiques. La déconstruction des conditions d’intelligibilité du concept de l’universalité, juxtaposée à celle de la réification de la religion, expose des jeux de langage délimités et circonscrits par une ontologie moderne. Ces jeux de langage ontologiques sont déployés par des démarcations radicales où des séries dichotomiques, le sujet et l’objet par exemple, circonscrivent les discours dans une clôture métaphysique. Bref, cette thèse déconstruit le signifié transcendantal « religion » et expose les conditions d’intelligibilité de l’universalité de la religion, c’est-à-dire les jeux de langage ontologiques modernes étroitement tissés et calqués sur l’ontologie classique où les discours auxquels la grande majorité des approches en sciences des religions adhèrent puisent leur intelligibilité.

The history of African Traditional Religions (ATRs), both inside and outside academia, is one dominated by exclusions. These exclusions were created by the colonial framing of ATRs as primitive, irrational and inferior to other religions. This colonial legacy is in danger of being preserved by the absence of ATRs from the academic study of religion, legal definitions of religion, and global and local conversations about religion. This thesis will explore the ways that a more considered and accurate examination of the understudied religious dimensions within ATRs can potentially dismantle this legacy. It will do so by demonstrating what this considered examination might look like, through an examination of Yoruba divine conceptualizations and the insights they bring to our understanding of three concepts in Religious Studies discourse: Worship, Gender, and Syncretism. This thesis will demonstrate how these concepts have the ability to challenge and contribute to a richer understanding of various concepts and debates in Religious Studies discourse. Finally, it will consider the implications beyond academia, with a focus on the self-understanding of ATR practitioners and African communities. It frames these implications under the lens of the colonial legacy of ‘monstrosity’, which relates to their perception as primitive and irrational, and concludes that a more considered examination of ATRs within the Religious Studies framework has the potential to dismantle this legacy.

What is religion? That is a question that have been asked and answered over and over again since the invention of the word itself. The definition of religion is still engaging and dividing social science. Despite that, the word has a untaught part of our everyday life. We meet the word on the news, in conversations and in education. What we may not consider is that religion is a product of it’s own history which until today, influences the understanding of it. The definition of it is also produced and reproduced in different contexts. These contexts in which religion is presented and explained imprint thus our understanding of religion. This paper aim to examine what religion is and how it is defined and described in the context of a museum, more particularly the exhibition Nordamerikas indianer at Etnografiska museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Within the field of religious studies, the definition of religion is constantly debated. While subjective definitions of this concept may be useful in day to day conversation, what happens when “religion” and other religious language is mentioned in constitutionally entrenched documents and policies? Drawing on critical theory, this thesis examines the biases associated with the the protection of freedom of religion and the preamble to Canada’s constitution which states that, “Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and rule of law”.

In the age of mass information, globalization, and peer-to-peer social networks, the traditional markers of identity and elective affinities, particularly those of religion and nationalism, are shifting in relation to contemporary trends. The field of Religious Studies has been influenced by a series of ‘post’s: postsecular, postmodern, postcolonial, and post 9/11. The rise of revolutionary religious movements internationally is a hallmark characteristic of the postsecular age. Participants in these movements are variously characterized as religious dissidents, militant secularists, neo-fascist nationalists, and terrorists. However, according to the dialogues within these communities, participants do not think of themselves in these terms. The dualizing labels of ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ do not lend meaning to these contemporary identities. This thesis addresses the question: How do traditional and contemporary theories in the field of Religious Studies evaluate contemporary religious nationalist movements, and how do their analyses compare to how members of the groups in question perceive themselves? To answer this question, this dissertation examines and contrasts four key case studies: the Native Faith Movement and Femen in Ukraine, and the Gezi Park protesters and the Gülen Movement in Turkey. By analyzing group activities through the fora of the curated digital presences of group leaders and members, this research investigates emerging elective affinities and markers of identity which transcend the religious/secular binary. Contemporary theory from the field of Critical Religion and feminist theology transcending the religious/secular binary will be applied to these case studies in order to gain a deeper understanding of the shifting relationships between religion, protest and the nation.

This study seeks to explore how Swedish textbooks in religion for upper secondary school presents East Asian teachings. The main focus will be on Confucianism, Daoism and Shinto. The aim is to explore how textbook authors relate to the Western concept of reli-gion when they describe the three East Asian teachings. Where do the authors choose to put the most emphasis when the coverage of the textbooks is limited? The study is done by qualitative text analysis as method. The theoretical perspective used is primarily critical religion theory. Five textbooks of religion for upper secondary school were studied and show in the results the different themes found in the texts regarding East Asian teachings. The analysis shows that Confucianism, Daoism and Shinto are presented in the textbooks as something different compared to the world religions. Occasionally the three teachings are portrayed as obsolete. By using a critical religion theory, it seems that the textbook authors were occasionally trying to fit in the teachings as sui generis religion. The authors seem to be aware that religious practice can be different in East Asia than it is generally done in the west. This study should be of help to Swedish religion studies teachers when educating in the subject. It is easy to fall into the trap of explaining foreign teachings through sui generis religion. By being critical before deciding to make use of Swedish textbooks in religion we can avoid reproducing unfair notations of East Asian teachings.

The study of the phenomenon of religion is a field that has many challenges regarding what its object of study is and how to observe and interpret the different religious phenomenon in a way that reflects both its origin and how its practiced. The study is carried out through a philosophical approach. In this essay Lua Nazerian intends to address the four different theoretical perspectives: Critical Religion Theory, Cognitive Sciences of Religion, Positive Psychology and Platonic Idealism. The two former ones are well established theoretical frameworks in the study of religion, while the two latter ones are lend from the field of psychology and philosophy to test whether they could be used as analytical tools in the study of religion. Moreover the perspectives different view on the human nature in particular are further examined through the lens of the subcategories: Materialism, Conceptualism and Realism. Furthermore, by adding the two subcategories of 1) a virtuous life 2) transcendence, the essay examines whether the perspectives touches on these topics which seems to be central concepts in the majority of religious doctrine. Finally, some possible conclusions of the perspectives inherent premises impacting the understanding of religion are carefully examined and presented. Suggested further studies to be done cross-disciplines, such as religious studies, positive psychology and philosophy. Also by a combination of descriptive and prescriptive approach within religious studies.

This dissertation analyses the use of the word “religion” in Canadian law and theorises the consequences of its use for the legal protection of religious movements in Canada. Chapter One establishes the problems of the word “religion” in academic discourse by providing an overview of work in the field of critical religion. This dissertation considers whether the critiques of the term “religion” by scholars working within critical religion are equally relevant when considering the role of religion in human rights law. Chapter Two turns an investigative eye toward Canadian case law using the word “religion”, from Chaput v Romain (1959) to Alberta v Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony (2009). The analysis highlights how the use of “religion” in Canadian law does indeed reflect academic concerns. Chapter Three uses queer theory to speculate the consequences of an unstable concept of religion for the protection of religious freedom, especially as it pertains to new religious movements. Judith Butler’s notions of performativity and drag are applied to theorise the performance of “religion” and its outcomes. Some suggestions for how to proceed conclude the dissertation.