Bernard Lonergan's method and religious studies: functional specialities and the academic study of religion

Brodie, Ian Bernard (2001) Bernard Lonergan's method and religious studies: functional specialities and the academic study of religion. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis asks the question, In what way can the generalised empirical method of Bernard Lonergan contribute to an understanding and development of the methodology of religious studies as it is currently practised in Canada? The author first presents a brief history of Bernard Lonergan's understanding of the academic study of religion, including his encounter with the phenomenon upon his return from Rome, his revaluation of 1968, the development of functional specialisation, and his subsequent reflections on the relationship between religious studies and theology. Following a presentation of functional specialisation as an empirical method is an analysis of The Study of Religion in Canada, a series of state-of-the-art reviews published by the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion. The author is able to discern patterns of critique amongst the reviewers and ground their findings in Lonergan's method. Finally, the author presents a series of methodological questions concerning religious studies in Canada and his own tentative answers.

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