The development of the study of religions
Major ideas and problems
As the programs in studies in religion developed, the need to define the area
of study more precisely was identified, in particular how the area was different
from those disciplines in the departments from which it emerged, especially
philosophy and theology or divinity studies. At this stage, teaching staff in
many departments around Australia and New Zealand debated the difference
or similarity between theology and studies in religion, as they were faced with
the necessity of clearly articulating their aims as they developed new syllabi
and promotional material for cohorts of new students. In Australia, in most
cases, new subjects of study were included to incorporate the focus of
comparative religion more into the programs, even though many of the early
staff came directly from divinity programs or theological colleges without a
great deal of expertise in such teaching areas. As more staff became avail-
able, the University of Queensland, for example, introduced Buddhism and
meditation studies, Victoria University offered eastern religions and primal
religions, and the University of Otago offered study in Indian and Chinese
philosophy and Maori mythology and religion.
In 1978, Eric Osborn (1978: 12) wrote of the rapid expansion of programs
of studies in religion over the previous decade, although he noted that both
teaching and scholarly publications had mostly come from outside the
universities in the theological colleges. While he hoped for further development
of studies in religion, he showed his bias in the statement: ‘However, the
independent theological faculties and colleges, now that they have joined
together and no longer require scholars to teach outside their speciality, will
probably continue to provide the bulk of the published scholarly work’. He
also suggested that it was difficult to identify tendencies in the work of scholars
in the area, noting the part played by greater isolation in this region than in
Europe or America (ibid).
While it was true that departments remained small and isolated, nevertheless
they covered a broad range of interests in comparative religion and metho-
dologies, and world-class figures emerged that quickly outshone their colleagues
in the theological colleges. It was not uncommon to find a small department
in which staff covered a range of general studies in world religions and
methodology as well as offering specialized study in their own particular area
of expertise. In Australia and New Zealand a number of very small departments
covered areas as broad as each of the five major world religions, method and
theory in the study of religion, philosophy and psychology of religion, the
history of ideas, sociology and anthropology of religion, biblical studies,
patristics, church history, ancient Near Eastern religions, Greco-Roman
religions, new religious movements, religion and science, meditation studies,
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35
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9
40111
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AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
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