The study of religion: Conversation point for theology and science - Phenomenology and theology-reflections on the study of religion

The academic study of religious belief and practice is frequently taken to debunk the content of religion. This attitude impedes the science-theology dialogue and causes believers to react defensively toward studies of religi on. I argue that a large, although not unrestricted, domain exists in which phenomenology of religion is neutral with respect to content, that is, com patible with either belief or unbelief. Theology can constructively interac t with secular studies of religion, in some cases even explicitly hostile o nes. Three themes emerge chat elaborate on this interaction: (1) the claim that a scientific study of religion is capable of refuting belief is a logi cal mistake; (2) religious practice, and to some extent belief, can benefit from secular scrutiny; (3) the entirety of religious expressions is richer than the content that can be captured by analytical study of the phenomeno n.