Towards A Plural Perspective in Religious Studies Beyond Positivistic Secularity and Phenomenology Theologized

Abstract

There are two different approaches in the realm of teaching or investigating of the religions in the universities. On the one hand secular or naturalist approach tries to explain the religions by irreligious factors, on the other hand theological or classical phenomenology aims to describe the religions from insider’s perspective. According to this, while secularist researchers defend that religions should be taught by atheist or humanist acedemicians, theological phenomenologists assert that the religions should be taught by the religious or beleivers. Altough most people think that we are compelled to accept the only one from those two approaches, actually, we argue for third alternative or position. We souldn’t be compelled to accept secularity concept as a positivist and euro-centric paradigma. Therefore we may attain an unpositivistic and unreductionist concept of secularity and a new understanding of secularity which is in harmony with our own religious traditions and values.

Keywords

• Religious Studies, Positivistic Secularity, Phenomenology Theologized, Plurality, Neutrality

Dini Araştırmalarda Çoğulcu bir Perspektife Doğru -Pozitivist Sekülerliğin ve Teolojileştirilmiş Fenomenolojinin Ötesinde-

Öz

Üniversitelerde dinleri öğretme ve araştırma alanında iki farklı yaklaşım vardır. Bir taraftan Seküler ya da naturalist yaklaşım, dinleri dini olmayan faktörlerle açıklamaya çalışırken, diğer taraftan klasik ya da teolojik fenomenoloji, dinleri içeriden bakanın perspektifinden tasvir etmeyi amaçlar. Buna göre, seküler araştırmacılar, dinlerin ateist ya da hümanist akademisyenlerce öğretilmesi gerektiğini savunurken, teolojik fenomenologlar, dinlerin dindar ya da inananlarca öğretilmesi gerektiğini ileri sürerler. Çoğu insan, bu iki yaklaşımdan sadece birini kabul etmeye mecbur olduğumuzu düşünmesine rağmen, biz üçüncü bir seçeneği ya da pozisyonu savunmaktayız. Sekülerlik kavramını, pozitivist ve Avrupa-merkezci bir paradigma olarak kabul etmeye mecbur değiliz. Bu yüzden, pozitivistik ve indirgemeci olmayan bir sekülerlik kavramına ve kendi dini geleneklerimiz ve değerlerimizle uyum içinde olan yeni bir sekülerlik anlayışına ulaşabiliriz.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dini Araştırmalar, Pozitivist sekülerlik, Teolojileştirilmiş Fenomenoloji, Çoğulluk, Nötralite

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