The Subtlety of Subtitles: A Closer Look at Institutions, the Study of Religion, and Canada

Abstract

In this brief review, I organize my comments around the subtitle of Hughes’s book and take up the themes of Institution, Study of Religion, and Canada. In doing so, I highlight the ways that Hughes’s history provides insight into: 1) the roles of institutions qua institutions (albeit with social actors now) in the establishment of religious studies; 2) the distinctly Canadian elements of religious studies as it emerged in the midst of particular political, social, and cultural contexts; and 3) where the book takes us when thinking about the elastic boundaries that make up Canadian identity.