Estudo sobre religião

Instituto de Ciências Sociais
Universidade de Lisboa www.ics.ul.pt Working Papers

O QUE SIGNIFICA O ESTUDO DAS RELIGIÕES:
UMA CIÊNCIA MONOLÍTICA OU
INTERDISCIPLINAR?
Steffen Dix

WP1-07

2007

Please address correspondance to
INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS SOCIAIS- UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Avenida Professor Aníbal de Bettencourt, 9 1600-189 LISBOA
Tel: [phone] - Fax: [phone]
URL: www.ics.ul.pt

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O que significa o estudo das religiões:
Uma ciência monolítica ou interdisciplinar?

Steffen Dix (Investigador Associado)
Instituto de Ciências Sociais
Universidade de Lisboa

ABSTRACT:
Despite the so-called decline of church attendance in northern and western Europe and the myth that religion has become irrelevant, the world of today seems to be more religious than ever. Currently is possible to verify world widely a certain religious resurgence in politics, a strong rise of religious plurality and an increasing level of homemade religiousness. This situation compels to recognize that religion is a phenomenon which needs a continuous investigation. The present essay seeks to outline the historical expansion and the contemporary condition of religious studies as an independent scientific discipline. On the other hand, the main question of the essay will be this: Whether religious studies should be understood as a monolithic examination or as an interdisciplinary approach on religious phenomena. Finally, the article suggests some possible ways in the methodical organisation of religious studies.

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O que significa o estudo das religiões:
Uma ciência monolítica ou interdisciplinar?

... no hablo ahora de las divinas, que tienen por blanco llevar y encaminar las almas al cielo; que a un fin tan sin fin como éste ninguno otro se le puede igualar: hablo de las letras humanas...
Don Quijote

Introdução
Até aos últimos anos do século XX, existiram nas sociedades ocidentais várias teorias diferentes de