Empty Voices

Abstract In its current state, the Study of Religion operates as an unstable and confused field in which, quite often, no differential is made between critical and confessional approaches. Drawing on collaborative work with other doctoral colleagues, we hold that a new Study of Religion is modelled from Critical Religion, adopting an anti-realist ontological framework which does not assume that our object of study exists ‘out-there’. Instead, ‘religion’ should be conceived of as a social construct, a product of language, particular histories, and intertwining relations of knowledge and power. Following this, we hold that discourse analysis is taken up as the primary methodological framework used by academics of religion. Doing so, we enter into the debate regarding the nature and position of the Study of Religion as a separate academic endeavour from that of other social and human sciences. Introduction This paper is the result of inquiries into the status of Re...

Entering the debate on Labour and anti-Semitism is always a fraught task. For obvious reasons, the debate is emotionally charged, with people often taking one of two inflexible positions. First, there are those who claim that Labour, since Corbyn’s leadership, and Corbyn himself, is anti-Semitic and anyone who denies this, or partially attempts to nuance the charge, are themselves complicit in anti-Semitism. Second, there are those who claim that most, if not all, arguments that Labour and Corbyn is anti-Semitic are lies – attempts to smear the Labour party and Corbyn to prevent Labour from attaining power. There is, however, a third position – situated in the middle of these two opposing camps. This group does not get a good hearing in the media, but – as is often the case with polarising debates – this middle camp usually has the most balanced perspective on the whole discussion. People of this third group claim that while there is small but consistent evidence of anti-Semitism wit...