Teaching Sociology of Religion after the Reflexive and Postcolonial Turn

The standard narrative of the sociology of religion emphasizes its status as a historically established subdiscipline of sociology. This tradition is deeply rooted in the work of foundational thinkers such as Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, whose contributions have shaped much of the canonical framework within which the sociology of religion has developed. These figures are central to most university curricula and introductory courses, where their theories are still widely taught as key pillars of the field.

However, following both the "reflexive turn" and the "postcolonial turn," scholars have become increasingly critical of the strong Eurocentric and Western Christian biases embedded in the sociology of religion. These critiques have revealed how the methodologies and theoretical approaches of the discipline often reflect cultural and ideological assumptions such as secularization and the world religions paradigm, to name a few.

This paper critically examines the challenges posed to the sociology of religion by reflexive and postcolonial critiques. It reviews the theoretical debates and ongoing struggles that have emerged in response, both within sociology and from neighbouring disciplines such as anthropology and religious studies. Finally, the paper explores how these debates and critiques can be integrated into university curricula. It highlights practical strategies for teaching, drawing on examples from my own teaching experience.