Waking up the old boogeymen? : some comments on Donald Wiebe's text

Throughout the existence of religious studies as a science and academic discipline, there have been quite heated debates about its nature and its relationship to other disciplines that are also interested in religion. Among the most passionate are the debates about the relationship between religious studies and theology, which have transformed over the past few decades. From the original emancipatory discussions concerning the very possibility of studying religion scientifically, objectively, and without religious intent, the debates are now more on the level of debates focused on the methods of studying religions, their origins and character, as well as the topics that religious studies as a science should or could address.
That these are still lively and heated debates is demonstrated by the recent writings of the eminent theorist of religious studies, the Canadian scholar Donald Wiebe. The purpose of this reflection is to place the discussion initiated by D. Wiebe in a broader context and thus to enable a better understanding even of some of the primary intentions of the text Wiebe has published in this issue of Religio: Revue pro religionistiku as part of this debate.