“Where are we going to go from here?”

Required Readings for this assignment: McCutcheon, Russell T. Studying
Religion: An Introduction, Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 2019.
Assignment: McCutcheon
outlines three common approaches to definition: essentialist, functionalist,
and family resemblance. In your assignment, outline the disadvantages of each
approach in the context of studying religion.
Your thesis should read something like this: “According
to McCutcheon, each of the three common approaches to definition has disadvantages.
In what follows, I outline each approach and identify a key disadvantage in the
context of the study of religion…”
Details: your paper should include an introduction
(your thesis statement and a description of your paper), a section on essentialism,
functionalism, and family resemblance, and a conclusion. Each approach and
disadvantage should be about 1 page. The introduction and conclusion should
take up the remainder of your paper (4 pages in total). Use subheadings if it
makes it easier to organize.
The point: I want you to show me that you
understand the cost of using a particular strategy of definition. Listing
advantages is sometimes easy, it is more difficult to express awareness that any
particular approach to studying something comes with a price. As Smith says, “without
the experience of riding hell bent for leather on one’s presuppositions, one is
allowed to feel that methods have no real consequences and no entailments”
(126).
How will this assignment be marked? I
will be looking for accuracy, comprehension, and concision in terms of the
content. I will be looking for a well organized and clear argument in terms of the
form. Proper use of Chicago is required.

Aim of
assignment: demonstration of your writing and
comprehension skills; practice writing in essay form; practice using Chicago style
for citations.

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