| Comparison: A Critical Primer Contributor(s): Hughes, Aaron W. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 178179538X ISBN-13: 9781781795385 Publisher: Equinox Publishing OUR PRICE: $26.55 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2017 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Comparative Religion - Religion | Education - Social Science | Methodology |
| Dewey: 200.71 |
| LCCN: 2016055127 |
| Series: Concepts in the Study of Religion |
| Physical Information: 0.4" H x 5.4" W x 8.4" (0.45 lbs) 128 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Comparison is held to be one of the central methods of the academic study of religion. While many ostensibly engage in the comparative act, often overlooked is what it actually means to do this. What is comparison? Why engage in it and for what purposes? Can there be such a thing as a valid or invalid comparison? Can comparison itself be compared to anything? This book starts with the premise that while there are good comparisons and bad comparisons, what is common to both is the sheer artificiality of the enterprise and develops an analytical framework for using the method in the context of religious studies. After briefly tracing the history and genealogy of the category, Hughes draws on his own extensive work in Judaism and Islam to argue that comparison can be a useful method, but only under strictly controlled conditions. |
