Towards a Symmetrical Approach: The Study of Religions After Postmodern and Postcolonial Criticism

Towards a Symmetrical Approach:
The Study of Religions After Postmodern and Postcolonial Criticism
29 November – 1 December 2012 * Brno * Czech Republic

http://www.phil.muni.cz/relig/symmetry2012/

“The symmetry postulate”, as David Bloor formulated it, “enjoins us to
seek the same kind of causes for both true and false, rational and
irrational beliefs.” Such a principle seems to conform to the common
sense. At the same time it is often neglected in the field of social
sciences. In the light of consequences of this principle, the academic
study of religions seems to be predominantly an exercise in asymmetry:
neglecting the voices of women and favouring men’s worlds; preferring
the voices of experts over those of lay participants, of elites over
ordinary people; siding with the winners against the losers. The
postmodern and postcolonial criticism of the Western scholarly tradition
have brought number of such asymmetries to our sight. Yet, the
symmetrical ways are still an unexplored territory. This workshop on the
symmetrical approach would like to offer a chance to explore this
unexplored territory together.

We therefore invite students of religions, qualitative sociologists,
anthropologists, and historians to exchange ideas and scholarly
experience and examples of good practice at a workshop on the
symmetrical approach in the study of religions held in Brno, Czech
Republic.

See the call for papers for a more detailed overview:
http://www.phil.muni.cz/relig/symmetry2012/call-for-papers.php

Organizing bodies

Department for the Study of Religions, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk
University

Czech Association for the Study of Religions (CASR)