Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion
“Ultimacy,” it is argued, is not an area that academic studies in theology nor the study of religion can properly investigate; nevertheless, it is also illegitimate to argue therefore that claims to it are simply linguistic power plays. Using an autobiographical methodology, the author explores how...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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2019
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/107060 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/49023 |
| _version_ | 1811679273016098816 |
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| author | Hedges, Paul |
| author2 | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies |
| author_facet | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Hedges, Paul |
| author_sort | Hedges, Paul |
| collection | NTU |
| description | “Ultimacy,” it is argued, is not an area that academic studies in theology nor the study of religion can properly investigate; nevertheless, it is also illegitimate to argue therefore that claims to it are simply linguistic power plays. Using an autobiographical methodology, the author explores how their own “imagined” “mystical” experience and scholarly studies may shed light on approaching the study of religious experience, noting particularly work by Rudolf Otto, Robert Sharf, Gregory Shushan, and Ann Taves. Reflections are offered on studying religious experience, approaching ultimacy, and the relationship of theological and religious studies. Moreover, some critical and decolonial perspectives are brought to bear both on the author’s own work, academic studies, and contemporary debates around studying what may be termed “mysticism” or religious experience. The author also argues that the autobiographical and reflexive model offered herein may be a useful perspective for scholarship in the study of religion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T03:06:32Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/107060 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T03:06:32Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1070602020-11-01T08:04:08Z Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion Hedges, Paul S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Mysticism Religious Experience Social sciences::Political science “Ultimacy,” it is argued, is not an area that academic studies in theology nor the study of religion can properly investigate; nevertheless, it is also illegitimate to argue therefore that claims to it are simply linguistic power plays. Using an autobiographical methodology, the author explores how their own “imagined” “mystical” experience and scholarly studies may shed light on approaching the study of religious experience, noting particularly work by Rudolf Otto, Robert Sharf, Gregory Shushan, and Ann Taves. Reflections are offered on studying religious experience, approaching ultimacy, and the relationship of theological and religious studies. Moreover, some critical and decolonial perspectives are brought to bear both on the author’s own work, academic studies, and contemporary debates around studying what may be termed “mysticism” or religious experience. The author also argues that the autobiographical and reflexive model offered herein may be a useful perspective for scholarship in the study of religion. Published version 2019-07-01T02:00:11Z 2019-12-06T22:24:00Z 2019-07-01T02:00:11Z 2019-12-06T22:24:00Z 2018 Journal Article Hedges, P. (2018). Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion. Open Theology, 4(1), 355-372. doi:10.1515/opth-2018-0027 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/107060 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/49023 10.1515/opth-2018-0027 en Open Theology © 2018 Paul Hedges, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. BY-NC-ND 4.0 18 p. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Mysticism Religious Experience Social sciences::Political science Hedges, Paul Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title | Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title_full | Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title_fullStr | Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title_short | Encounters with ultimacy? : autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| title_sort | encounters with ultimacy autobiographical and critical perspectives in the academic study of religion |
| topic | Mysticism Religious Experience Social sciences::Political science |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/107060 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/49023 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hedgespaul encounterswithultimacyautobiographicalandcriticalperspectivesintheacademicstudyofreligion |