The Social Construction and Critique of Religion

What is it about?

The idea that there is an identifiable thing called 'religion' seems obvious to many people. The concept of religion, however, has a complex history. By comparing religion to race, I show that religion is a socially constructed category deeply connected to Christianity and questions of identity. In light of this comparison, I argue that we should work to gradually eliminate the role of the category religion in thinking about a variety of social and cultural issues.

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Why is it important?

The notion of religion plays a key role in debates about rights, extremism and a wide range of other social and cultural issues. By questioning this notion, we can see how the category itself makes assumptions about identity, belief and belonging that may disadvantage religious minorities.