From Respected Religion Scholar Expert to Cartoon Character: Reflections in the Wake of the Danish Muhammad Cartoon Crisis and Three Decades as Expert to the Media

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Authors

  • Tim Jensen

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • University of Southern Denmark
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)333-352
Number of pages20
JournalChanging Societies and Personalities
Volume3
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 6 Jan 2020

Abstract

Respected scholar, expert, public opinion maker, oracle, under-cover politician, charlatan, cartoon character - all roles "out there" waiting for scholars sharing knowledge with a wider public. Scholars of religion trying to carve out more room in the public arena for a nonreligious, scientific approach to religion always risk digging their graves as (respected) scholars. What's worse, they also risk digging the grave for a valuable and respectable, as well as publicly valued and respected academic, scientific study of religion. The scholar popularizing scientifically based knowledge, not least via the mass media (daily newspapers or public television), may "become" political and controversial to such a degree that s/he becomes a problem for the scientific study of religion, the community of scholars of religion, and the university with which s/he is affiliated. The otherwise valuable engagement threatens the reputation of science as being something valuable, "pure" and "neutral," elevated above the dirty business of politics and power. In spite of the risks, the engaged scholar, it is, however, also argued, actually can help to strengthen the position, inside and outside the academy, of scientifically based knowledge and of the critical, analytical, scientific study of religion.

Keywords

    Cartoon crisis, Islam, Methodological neutrality, Public intellectual, Public sphere, Social engagement, Study of religion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

From Respected Religion Scholar Expert to Cartoon Character: Reflections in the Wake of the Danish Muhammad Cartoon Crisis and Three Decades as Expert to the Media. / Jensen, Tim.
In: Changing Societies and Personalities, Vol. 3, No. 4, 06.01.2020, p. 333-352.

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