Boundaries of Religions and of Religion
The second lecture in the series focuses on two separate forms of boundary-making. First, it discusses the boundaries between religions. It asks: How do scholars envision “a religion”? Are there identifiable features that distinguish one religion/religious tradition from another religion/religious tradition and thus mark a boundary? And who determines what those features are? Secondly, it addresses the boundary between religion and non-religion, discussing both the scholarly act of defining religion and emic distinctions between religious and non-religious spheres.