| Field of Study: | Religion/Religious Studies
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| Description: | Religious studies seeks to develop understanding and empathy for diverse religious traditions and the people who practise them. It approaches the study of religion from a multidisciplinary perspective using methods drawn from various disciplines. The most common approaches are anthropological, sociological, historical, philological, and philosophical. In many cases, more than one method is used to illuminate a religion or a religious issue. Thus, the field is identified in terms of its subject matter (i.e., religion), and not the disciplinary approach taken by scholars. Within the field, understanding is seen to precede criticism, with critical discussions of religious beliefs and traditions developing in a normal academic manner once understanding has been achieved.
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