Religious Studies and September 11, 2001: Religion and Power in the Ruins

Abstract

In Religious Studies, comprehending the events of September 11th, 2001 required an analysis of the intersections between religion, politics, and global socio-economic systems before and after the event. Though the event seemed to strike out of the blue like the planes themselves, examining the religiosity of the acts required deep contextualization in the concrete details and histories that brought the hijackers to that day, as well as an examination of the interpretive lenses that the discipline of Religious Studies employed. Starting in the early 1990s, seismic shifts in the field were articulated along methodological fault lines as Religious Studies scholars divided over their positions on the discipline’s historic and, to some, current involvement in the global histories of colonialism, imperialism, globalized capitalism and, more recently, neoliberalism. As for so many other fields, the suicide bombings and mass murders ignited a disciplinary crucible on the social location, commitments, and methodological approaches of the Religious Studies scholar. Within a few years after 9/11, sub-fields such as Islamic Studies and Violence Studies were developed, and a messy public battle broke out regarding role of the Religious Studies scholar in a world of conflicts.