Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 333-352 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Changing Societies and Personalities |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Jan 2020 |
Abstract
Respected scholar, expert, public opinion maker, oracle, under-cover politician, charlatan, cartoon character - all roles "out there" waiting for scholars sharing knowledge with a wider public. Scholars of religion trying to carve out more room in the public arena for a nonreligious, scientific approach to religion always risk digging their graves as (respected) scholars. What's worse, they also risk digging the grave for a valuable and respectable, as well as publicly valued and respected academic, scientific study of religion. The scholar popularizing scientifically based knowledge, not least via the mass media (daily newspapers or public television), may "become" political and controversial to such a degree that s/he becomes a problem for the scientific study of religion, the community of scholars of religion, and the university with which s/he is affiliated. The otherwise valuable engagement threatens the reputation of science as being something valuable, "pure" and "neutral," elevated above the dirty business of politics and power. In spite of the risks, the engaged scholar, it is, however, also argued, actually can help to strengthen the position, inside and outside the academy, of scientifically based knowledge and of the critical, analytical, scientific study of religion.
Keywords
- Cartoon crisis, Islam, Methodological neutrality, Public intellectual, Public sphere, Social engagement, Study of religion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Psychology(all)
- Social Psychology
- Social Sciences(all)
- Cultural Studies
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In: Changing Societies and Personalities, Vol. 3, No. 4, 06.01.2020, p. 333-352.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - From Respected Religion Scholar Expert to Cartoon Character
T2 - Reflections in the Wake of the Danish Muhammad Cartoon Crisis and Three Decades as Expert to the Media
AU - Jensen, Tim
N1 - Funding Information: The work was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation (No. 17-18-01194)
PY - 2020/1/6
Y1 - 2020/1/6
N2 - Respected scholar, expert, public opinion maker, oracle, under-cover politician, charlatan, cartoon character - all roles "out there" waiting for scholars sharing knowledge with a wider public. Scholars of religion trying to carve out more room in the public arena for a nonreligious, scientific approach to religion always risk digging their graves as (respected) scholars. What's worse, they also risk digging the grave for a valuable and respectable, as well as publicly valued and respected academic, scientific study of religion. The scholar popularizing scientifically based knowledge, not least via the mass media (daily newspapers or public television), may "become" political and controversial to such a degree that s/he becomes a problem for the scientific study of religion, the community of scholars of religion, and the university with which s/he is affiliated. The otherwise valuable engagement threatens the reputation of science as being something valuable, "pure" and "neutral," elevated above the dirty business of politics and power. In spite of the risks, the engaged scholar, it is, however, also argued, actually can help to strengthen the position, inside and outside the academy, of scientifically based knowledge and of the critical, analytical, scientific study of religion.
AB - Respected scholar, expert, public opinion maker, oracle, under-cover politician, charlatan, cartoon character - all roles "out there" waiting for scholars sharing knowledge with a wider public. Scholars of religion trying to carve out more room in the public arena for a nonreligious, scientific approach to religion always risk digging their graves as (respected) scholars. What's worse, they also risk digging the grave for a valuable and respectable, as well as publicly valued and respected academic, scientific study of religion. The scholar popularizing scientifically based knowledge, not least via the mass media (daily newspapers or public television), may "become" political and controversial to such a degree that s/he becomes a problem for the scientific study of religion, the community of scholars of religion, and the university with which s/he is affiliated. The otherwise valuable engagement threatens the reputation of science as being something valuable, "pure" and "neutral," elevated above the dirty business of politics and power. In spite of the risks, the engaged scholar, it is, however, also argued, actually can help to strengthen the position, inside and outside the academy, of scientifically based knowledge and of the critical, analytical, scientific study of religion.
KW - Cartoon crisis
KW - Islam
KW - Methodological neutrality
KW - Public intellectual
KW - Public sphere
KW - Social engagement
KW - Study of religion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085147190&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.15826/CSP.2019.3.4.081
DO - 10.15826/CSP.2019.3.4.081
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85085147190
VL - 3
SP - 333
EP - 352
JO - Changing Societies and Personalities
JF - Changing Societies and Personalities
SN - 2587-6104
IS - 4
ER -