← Back to catalogue
Research draft

history of religions

vr.tr.history-of-religions · INF.KNW

Let an agent describe the history of religions as a field, relay its methods, subfields and major findings with attribution, distinguish it from theology and from religious studies more broadly, and route to entries for specific traditions and regions.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent describe the history of religions as a field, relay its methods, subfields and major findings with attribution, distinguish it from theology and from religious studies more broadly, and route to entries for specific traditions and regions.

The academic study of religions as historical phenomena, tracing their origins, development, institutions, practices and interactions over time, including the histories of specific traditions such as Hinduism and Shinto, of religion in particular countries and periods, of magic and of religious life in society; the field draws on history, philology, archaeology and religious studies and aims at description and analysis rather than theological evaluation.

What it is for: Understanding religions historically.

It can be explain the field and its methods; relay findings with attribution; distinguish from theology; route to specific traditions.

Distinguishing features

Historical method

Comparative scope

Non-confessional stance

Interdisciplinary

What it looks like

Not visible; a field found in books, journals and departments.

How it is recognised

Historical study of religions

Traditions, regions, periods and themes

Theology studies from within a faith; religious studies includes non-historical approaches

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

study of history

is a kind of - a historical branch

religious studies

is contrasted with - which evaluates from within

theology

studies - the subject

religion

In practice

Families and kinds

histories of specific religions such as Hinduism and Shinto

history of religion in specific countries such as Saudi Arabia and Serbia

history of magic and esotericism

social and gender history of religious life, including sexuality in religious orders

comparative history of religions

Standards and regulation

No regulation; scholarly standards and research ethics

Failure modes and hazards

Confessional bias presented as history

Eurocentric or evolutionist framing

Presenting contested interpretations as settled

Also called

Religious life and social practices in modern Serbiahistory of magicFemale homosexuality and bisexuality in religious ordershistory of Hinduismhistory of religion in Saudi Arabiahistory of Shintohistory of religion in ChinaHistory of the Czech and Slovak Eastern Orthodox Churchhistory of religion in Japanhistory of the Catholic ChurchHistory of ShaktismCoptic historyhistory of religion in Maltahistory of Roman Catholicism in Belizehistory of Confucianismhistory of the Society of Jesus

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Source repository Registry entry point

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Field What the field is.

Definition.

Scope

Scope and methods.

Scope

Scope.

  1. What does the history of religions study, and with which methods? definition
  2. Is the question about historical study, theology or a specific tradition with its own entry? boundary

Subfields

Subfields.

Subfields

Subfields.

  1. What subfields exist, by tradition, region, period and theme? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific subfield? action
Findings Findings and debates.

Attribution.

Themes

Major themes.

Themes

Themes.

  1. What are major findings on the origins, spread and change of religions, with attribution? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the specific tradition? action

Debates

Debates.

Debates

Debates.

  1. Where do historians of religion disagree, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral and non-confessional? boundary
Sources Sources and methods.

Sources.

Sources

Sources.

Sources

Sources.

  1. Which textual, archaeological and ethnographic sources underpin the field? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance

References

Reference works.

References

References.

  1. Which reference works and journals are standard? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance
Context History of the field and teaching.

Context.

History

History of the field.

History

History.

  1. How did the history of religions develop as a discipline, and how has it addressed its colonial and evolutionist past? provenance
  2. Which entry fits religious studies? action

Teach

Teaching.

Teach

Teaching.

  1. How is the history of religions taught, and which texts are standard? provenance
  2. Which misconceptions arise? provenance

What the second pass must settle

  • Should each tradition history be a separate entry?
  • How should reference works be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming specific histories and themes; should they be split off?
Draft as JSON