Comparison - A Critical Primer - Aaron W. Hughes

Comparison - A Critical Primer - Aaron W. Hughes

Further Reading

Comparison - A Critical Primer - Aaron W. Hughes

Aaron W. Hughes [+-]
University of Rochester
Aaron W. Hughes is the Dean’s Professor of the Humanities and the Philip S. Bernstein Professor in the Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester. His research and publications focus on both Jewish philosophy and Islamic Studies. He has authored numerous books, including Situating Islam: The Past and Future of an Academic Discipline (Equinox, 2007); Theorizing Islam: Disciplinary Deconstruction and Reconstruction (Equinox, 2012); Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam (Columbia, 2012); and Abrahamic Religions: On the Uses and Abuses of History (Oxford, 2012). He currently serves as the editor of the journal Method and Theory in the Study of Religion.

Description

Comparison is held to be one of the central methods of the academic study of religion. While many ostensibly engage in the comparative act, often overlooked is what it actually means to do this. What is comparison? Why engage in it and for what purposes? Can there be such a thing as a valid or invalid comparison? This book starts with the premise that while there are good comparisons and bad comparisons, what is common to both is the sheer artificiality of the enterprise. It then develops an analytical framework for using the method in the context of religious studies. After briefly tracing the history and genealogy of the category, Hughes draws on his extensive work in Judaism and Islam to argue that comparison can be a useful method, but only under strictly controlled conditions.

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Citation

Hughes, Aaron. Further Reading. Comparison - A Critical Primer. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 115-117 Oct 2017. ISBN 9781781795385. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=33898. Date accessed: 23 Nov 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.33898. Oct 2017

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