Timothy Fitzgerald and the Revival of Religious Studies

Abstract

The Ideology of Religious Studies is described as foundational for the developing sub-field of "critical religion." Central tenets of Fitzgerald's work are highlighted as challenges to conventional assumptions and oft-repeated bromides that characterize religious studies as a discipline. Fitzgerald's current work that aims beyond "religion" to deconstruct other terms and paradigms of Western thought is gently critiqued - especially in regard to his rejection of politics as a meaningful category. In fact, it is suggested that Fitzgerald enlarges religious studies and shows its relevance to other fields by uncovering political contingencies behind the reification of "religion" and its attendant vocabulary.