In Geneologies of Religion, Talal Asad explores how religion as a historical category emerged in the West and has come to be applied as a universal concept.
The idea that religion has undergone a radical change since the Christian Reformation—from totalitarian and socially repressive to private and relatively benign—is a familiar part of the story of secularization. It is often invokved to explain and justify the liberal politics and world view of modernity. And it leads to the view that "politicized religions" threaten both reason and liberty. Asad's essays explore and question all these assumptions. He argues that "religion" is a construction of European modernity, a construction that authorizes—for Westerners and non-Westerners alike—particular forms of "history making."
Title | : | Genealogies of Religion: Discipline and Reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam |
Edition Language | : | English |
ISBN | : | 9780801846328 |
Format Type | : |
Perhaps 3.9 stars. Some chapters were dry, but for the most part this was an intellectually exciting and stimulating ride. Asad is always a joy for the mind. I especially loved the Introduction for it...
Where should I start?This is one of the most interesting piece I've read. It denies the definition of "religion" as it is rooted on the European historicities and conception. According to Asad, an att...
Iconoclastic book of its day. Turned Geertz's famous definition of religion on its head, changing the path for the current stream of anthropology of religion. Asad just does great to shake things up, ...
من أهم ماقرأت هذه السنه ..يحتاج قراءة ثانية بالورقة والقلم...
Difficult read, but improved upon further readings, which I definitely would not have done if it wasn't assigned material....
I guess one of things I- fed up with postmodernism as I am- liked in Tala Asad's Genealogy is his reassertion of the the big narrative of "how power established itself," as opposed to the celebration,...
Wow, he sees so clearly and writes so clearly - the sort of clarity I also hope to achieve some day!...
The information in the book is truly great. The Rushdie stuff toward the end feels forced in relation to the larger project, but it's still interesting....
I'd read bits and pieces of Genealogies of Religion a few years ago, but I decided to buy and read the whole book. I bought it on NOOK, which for some reason isn't one of the editions here.Anyway, thi...
Albeit powerful and eloquent, Asad becomes inaccessible at times. The essays in the category of Translations and Archaism would not seem relevant to most of the readers without catching up with some o...