Historiography of Religion: New approaches to origins of narrating a religious past.
Norrköping,
Sweden: Jörg Rüpke / Susanne Rau, University of Erfurt, 10.09.2012-14.09.2012.
Reviewed by Bernd-Christian Otto
Published on H-Soz-u-Kult (January, 2013)
The research conference, generously funded do provoke processes of historicization and the
by a conference grant of the European Science development of historiography in particular?”;
Foundation, and hosted by the University of “Which practices to historicize the past, that is to
Linköping (LiU), focused on the question: ‘How, acknowledge and sequence the pastness of the
under which conditions and with which conse‐ past, have been used in historicizing religions?”;
quences are religions historicized?’. It aimed at “How do religions make themselves immune
furthering the study of religion as of historiogra‐ against historicist claims?”
phy by analysing how religious groups (or their The conference programme included some 26
adversaries) employ historical narratives in the papers focusing on the above-mentioned ques‐
construction of their identities. Likewise it asked tions and covered a variety of topics and religious
how such groups were invented by later historiog‐ traditions (see below). A poster session offered the
raphy and are continued in modern research. opportunity to present case studies as contribu‐
Thus it also focused on the biases and elisions of tions to the other sessions. It was used by nearly
current analytical and descriptive frames. Com‐ 20 young scholars. Alongside the paper and poster
bining disciplinary competences of Religious sessions, a significant amount of time was re‐
Studies and History of Religion, Confessional The‐ served for discussion, partly after the talks and
ologies, History, History of Science, and Literary panels, partly during the common lunch and din‐
Studies, the participants initiated a comparative ner meetings and the final discussion at the end of
historiography of religion. the conference.
Numerous scholars from different fields of The questions addressed in the sessions con‐
historical and religious research, from Circum- tributed to three basic axes of research.
Mediterranean and European as well as Asian re‐
1 Origins and developments
ligious traditions from the first millennium BCE to
the present came together. The conference was JOHANNES BRONKHORST (Lausanne) dealt
structured by a series of six sessions in three days with ancient Indian Brahmanism and focused on
(including one poster session) which combined the Indian pattern of de-historicization present in
impulses from short (10 minutes) and long (20 the doctrine of ‘yugas’ (world ages). Bronkhorst
minutes) lectures with plenary discussions. Here, presented an exception to this pattern in a text
the impulse of the initial question was driven for‐ called ‘Kali purana’ which significantly curtailed
ward by further questions developed in the open‐ the (typically very large) timeframe of the ‘Kali
ing lecture by the organizers like “Which contexts yuga’ and proposed the hypothesis that the au‐
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thors felt in fact living close to the end of the homogeneity and the quick dissolution of their
world. Systematically the talk and its discussion boundaries. Thus, it proved to be more fruitful to
led to the question whether the failing of prophe‐ analytically distinguished ‘inner’, ‘outer’ and ‘se‐
cy might be an important instigations for histori‐ cret’ as narrative patterns in these sources.
ography by religious agents. PEKKA TOLONEN (Turku) traced back the tex‐
INGVILD GILHUS (Bergen) introduced the tual sources on the origins of the medieval Euro‐
concept of living literature and analyzed the col‐ pean Waldensian movement and presented six
lection of texts in the codex Nag Hammadi II. The texts from 1174 to the 1360s that adopted very dif‐
phenomenon of an additional temporal framing ferent narrative and ideological patterns while
before biblical origins and in the very end points dealing with the movement. In their quest for ori‐
to an elite establishing its status by specialist gins, Protestant historiography later based its
knowledge. Within this frame, interest is in per‐ judgment of the Waldensian movement and Peter
mancency, not change; the intensive historicisa‐ Waldes on the two motifs of sanctity of the
tion of heresiographic literature in the form of ge‐ founder and apostolic origins in these early ac‐
nealogies is countered by a lack of names and counts.
events. YVES KRUMENACKER (Lyon) analyzed French
CHASE ROBINSON (New York) started from Protestant historiography of the 17th century as a
the notion of history as a repository of knowledge sort of texts answering the question “Where was
claims based on plausibility, a criterion that has to your church before Luther’s and Calvin’s reforma‐
be historicized itself. Initial Islamic historiogra‐ tion?” The heuristic apparatus developed includ‐
phy, starting in the second Islamic century, legiti‐ ed dogmatic inventions or critique before 1500,
mated the Quran by connecting it with the man individuals who spread new ideas, and the conti‐
Muhammad as the prophet, sketched in the genre nuity of groups from Apostolic times onwards.
of biography. The prophet is the locus of historici‐ The contribution demonstrated the role of narra‐
sation, for instance in construing a “translatio im‐ tives of martyrdom for the historiography of
perii” to the Muslim community. In comparison, groups that remained defeated minorities in their
non-prophetic biographies are formulaic and seri‐ struggle with French Catholicism and the impor‐
al. tance of historiography for a specific Protestant
SYLVIE HUREAU (Paris) presented her work identity.
on medieval Chinese Buddhist hagiographies and 2 Writing histories
proposed a two-fold hypothesis: (1) that the mirac‐ ULRIKA MÅRTENSSON (Trondheim) present‐
ulous events in these biographies are not arbi‐ ed a paper on the medieval Arab historian at-
trary but illustrate typical patterns of Indian Bud‐ Tabari. She discussed his interpretation of the ap‐
dhist sutras known to the readers at that time; (2) pearance of the Qur’an as a godly reaction to a
that these texts adapted Indian narrative patterns former breach of contract and advocated a more
to a Chinese context. elaborate scholarly reception of at-Tabari in order
PER K. SØRENSEN (Leipzig) gave a survey on to understand early Islam. For the general ques‐
medieval Tibetan historiography, separating five tion of religion being confronted with history, her
typical historiographic genres: annals, genealogy, demonstration showed important differences in
register of sources, ‘origins of the dharma’, and the treatment of the Quran by one and the same
apocryphal ‘treasure literature’. While discussing author, but in the different genres of history and
the different institutional and functional contexts Quranic commentary.
of these genres, Sørensen stressed their relative
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SHAHZAD BASHIR (Stanford) focused on the paid to the amalgamation of different discursive
Early Modern Persian historian Muhammad fields (dealing with region or religion for in‐
Khwandamir and his massive work Habib as-si‐ stance), to processes of sacralisation in certain
yar. He described the different layers and histori‐ discourses (even of science), and of different com‐
ographical subjects of the text and particularly fo‐ municative communities: of memory, of knowl‐
cussed on the different representation of Islamic, edge, of generations. Paying attention to meta-
Persian, and Mongol history. From an analytical narratives and discourses about methodology
point of view it was interesting to see how sensi‐ helps to achieve this aim, for example to explain
tive the chronicler is of how to produce meaning. the dominance of the religious factor in national-
JON KEUNE (Göttingen) presented his work liberal and catholic narratives in the 19th century.
on the West Indian Hindu movement of ‘Varkari Making fruit of the comparative approach of
sampraday’ and discussed aspects of its pre-colo‐ the conference, PHILIPP HETMANCZYK (Zürich)
nial, colonial and post-colonial history. He pointed to similar entanglements in the early 20th
stressed the problem of writing a history of this century’s engagement with the factor of religion
movement as the sources – written by practition‐ in accounts of the economic development of Chi‐
ers, opponents, and others – tend to instrumental‐ na. Here, Confucian ancestor worship could be
ize this development within different cultural and seen as mirroring feudal structures or hindering
narrative (that is polemical) patterns. the accumulation of capital, even if Confucianism
Even more attention to the practitioners of could be seen as inspiring a productive economic
historiography was given by SUSANNE RAU (Er‐ ethos in other accounts.
furt). Historiography is a tool for creating purpose 3 Transforming narratives: scholars, meth‐
and identity, but religion is always involved in ods, disciplines
many purposes, from embedding local history In the last section, dedicated to the establish‐
into the history of salvation to offering actual and ment of modern disciplines, CRISTIANA FACCHINI
virtual experiences within the framework of edu‐ (Bologna) analyzed the history of the historiciza‐
cation of a prince. Additionally, the narratives are tion of Judaism from the 17th century onwards,
usually written by individuals (not groups), hard‐ programmatically going beyond the usual starting
ly full-time academics before 1650, frequently point of the 19th century when dealing with his‐
priests or preachers. toric disciplines. In following the reception of the
In the context of historiography in the confes‐ seemingly antiquarian account of Jewish ritual by
sional age HANNAH SCHNEIDER (Paris) narrowed Leon of Modena (publ. 1637/38) the influence of
the focus down to outright polemics in the 19th far-ranging historical comparisons, the influence
century. She identified important topoi in the nar‐ of small networks, and the failure of political
rative proper – for example the topos of talking projects and its fatal consequences became appar‐
about the government of the churches offered ent.
space for advancing or criticizing the infallibility RENÈE KOCH-PIETTRE (Paris) discussed the
of the pope – or in paratext like mottos on title 18th century European scholar Charles de Bross‐
pages – “the gates of hell shall not prevail against es, particularly focussing on his work Du culte des
it”. dieux fétiches. She stressed Charles de Brosses’ in‐
Against this background FRANZISKA MET‐ novative approach in interpreting ancient poly‐
ZGER (Fribourg) developed a tool-box for analyz‐ theism by describing his usage of the concept of
ing an entagled history of religion, history, and ‘fétichisme’ that has been adopted by various lat‐
the nation. She pointed out that attention must be er scholars.
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GABRIELLA GUSTAFSSON (Uppsala) exempli‐ notions of ‘pragmatic historiography’ or ‘modern
fied mechanism of ancient as well as modern his‐ scholarship’. Thus, the participants initiated a
toriographical distortions by showing the gradual comparative historiography of religion by apply‐
transformation of verbal ideographic accounts in ing literary comparison and historical contextual‐
early narratives (e.g. evocare, ‘they called out the ization to those texts that have been used as cen‐
god’) into abstract and generalizing nouns (evoca‐ tral documents for histories of individual reli‐
tio, ‘the calling out of gods’), suggestive of estab‐ gions and by analyzing their historiographic char‐
lished and formalized rituals. acter, tools and strategies. The questions address‐
REINHARD G. KRATZ (Göttingen) added an ing the tensions between orientation by a history
important facet to the conference’s results by dis‐ and critical plurality of historiographic voices as
cussing the reconcilability of historical method well as the tensions between continuities of histo‐
and belief. He followed the tenet of scholarship riographic techniques and claims to qualitatively
destructing the historia sacra and this being an at‐ different scholarship proved irresolvable, and
tack on religion from Julius Wellhausen onwards hence fruitful, as these tensions are informed by
and analyzed its historiographical roots. On this and indicate larger issues of human culture and
basis he developed a hermeneutical approach its observation, permanency and change.
that asks to a) realize how irrational elements of “Historiography of Religion: New Approaches
‘sacred history’ are articulated in religious tradi‐ to origins of narrating a religious past” has
tions, starting from textual conjectures in the bib‐ proven crucial in establishing a new field of re‐
lical tradition, and b) to historicise ‘modern’ schol‐ search that forces scholarship to integrate histori‐
arship itself. Here, he converged with many other ographic reflections of the participating disci‐
contributions who had shown the high method‐ plines with a fresh look onto the classical textual
ological standards of supposedly ‘pre-critical’ “sources” of any historical reconstruction of reli‐
scholarship. gious practices and ideas. Three issues will be of
GIOVANNI FILORAMO (Torino), finally, con‐ special relevance in the near future. a) A history
tributed a paper that contextualised the establish‐ of historical research on religion was stimulated
ment of chairs of “History of Christianity” as a re‐ by identifying key steps in the early modern and
placement for the discipline of “Church History” modern history of research. For disciplines adher‐
in Italian Universities from the late 19th century ent to the paradigm of “History of Religion” histo‐
onwards within the discussion of the substantial riography will move from a special field on the
or merely accidental character of historical margins of the relevant discipline to the center of
change in matters religious. methodological reflection with the next decade. b)
At the same time it will contribute to an already
The results of research presented in talks and
visible shift in other fields, that is, the reinvigora‐
posters demonstrated that the research question
tion of comparative approaches, including the
informing the conference is highly productive.
more complex notions of transfer and entangle‐
New interpretations and perspectives were gener‐
ment. On the basis of the permanent recreation of
ated for many texts or textual traditions. The
group boundaries in historiographic accounts, the
seemingly anachronistic and Eurocentric applica‐
concept of individual “religions” will be seriously
tion of the term ‘historiography’ to widely differ‐
questioned as ordering principle of research.
ent religions and texts in past and contemporary
Here, the entanglement of religion, region, lan‐
societies proved hermeneutically successful in in‐
guage, and historiography has to be critically re-
troducing new perspectives into pre-modern and
evaluated as is the case in national history or na‐
non-Western traditions as well as breaking down
tional literature. Finally, c) focusing on the prac‐
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tices of historiography enables a more complex Shahzad Bashir (Stanford University, US): Is‐
analysis of the interplay of collective meta-narra‐ lamic, Persian, and Mongol Times in Early Mod‐
tives and shared ethos with individual agenda ern Persianate Historiography
and appropriations. Here, religious studies will Ulrika Mårtensson (NTNU-The Norwegian
have to approach relevant sciences as well as tap University of Science and Technology, NO): How
hermeneutical techniques as developed by an‐ medieval Muslim historical writings can further
thropological, literary and media studies. contemporary research into the historical origins
Conference Overview: of the Qur'an
Welcome Address: Susanne Rau / Jörg Rüpke, Pekka Tolonen (University of Turku, FI): Con‐
University of Erfurt, DE struction of the origins of a heresy: medieval nar‐
Historiographic texts and contexts rative sources on the origins of the Waldensian
movement in context
1. Which contexts do provoke processes of
historicization and the development of historiog‐ Yves Krumenacker (Université de Lyon, FR):
raphy in particular? French Protestantism and the use of History
Johannes Bronkhorst (University of Lau‐ Hannah Schneider (German Historical Insti‐
sanne, CH): The historiography of Brahmanism tute Paris, FR): “The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it” – interconfessional polemics in French
Chase Robinson (City University of New York,
church histories of the 19th century
US): History and Heilsgeschichte in early Islam
5. How does historicization modify certain
Susanne Rau (University of Erfurt, DE): Practi‐
characteristics of religions? How do they inte‐
tioners of religious historiography
grate a historical dimension? How do religions
Ingvild Gilhus (Bergen, NO): The invention of make themselves immune against historicist
identity and the creation of history as cosmic claims?
myth: Interpreting Codex II from Nag Hammadi
Per K. Sørensen (University of Leipzig, DE): Ti‐
2. Writing histories of religion betan Historiography: A survey
Franziska Metzger (University of Fribourg, Anders Klostergaard Petersen (University of
CH): Conflicting historiographical claims in reli‐ Aarhus, DK): Presentification of history
giously plural societies
Thematic round table and short talks
Yvonne Maria-werber (Lund University, SE):
Jon Keune (Georg-August-Universität Göttin‐
Religion and Gender in Scandinavian historiogra‐
gen, DE): The Conditions of Historicizing Religion:
phy
Hinduism, Social Change, and Regional Identity in
3. Poster session Western India
4. Which practices to historicize the past, i.e. Madlen Krueger (Ruhr-University Bochum
to acknowledge and sequence the pastness of the University, DE): Narration of Buddhist Revival in
past, have been used in historicizing religions? Sri Lanka
Reinhard Gregor Kratz (University of Göttin‐ Philopp Hetmanczyk (University of Zurich,
gen, DE): Historia sacra and Historical Criticism in CH): Economic Histories of Religion in China
Biblical Scholarship
Eimer O’brien (National College of Art and
Thematic round table and short talks Design, Dublin, IE): The Art of Narrative: Religious
Identity in Modern Ireland
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6. How did different disciplines dealing with
religion take up the impulse of historicism?
Thematic round table and short talks
Aliki Theochari (University of Athens, GR): Pa‐
gans or Christians in Late Antiquity? Construction
of identity and polemic: the case of Eunapius of
Sardis
Sylvie Hureau (Ecole Pratique des Hautes
Etudes, FR): Reading sutras in biographies
Assia Maria Harwazinski (Tuebingen Univer‐
sity, DE): Cinema and Islam: Reconstruction and
Presence of History in Arabic Cinema
Cristiana Fachini (University of Bologna, IT):
Jewish Studies, Identity shaping by scientific His‐
toriography
Giovanni Filoramo (University of Torino, IT):
History of Christianity, Church history and storia
delle religioni
Thematic round table and short talks
Gabriella Gustafsson (Uppsala University, SE):
Verbs, nouns, temporality and typology
Renée Koch-Piettre (CNRS - Centre ANHIMA,
FR): How to consider polytheism as a valuable re‐
ligion: Charles de Brosses and his "fétiches"
Darja Sterbenc Erker (Humboldt-Universität
zu Berlin, DE): Historicizing religion in ancient
Rome: emic and "etic" accounts
Forward Look Session
If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at
http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/
Citation: Bernd-Christian Otto. Review of Historiography of Religion: New approaches to origins of
narrating a religious past. H-Soz-u-Kult, H-Net Reviews. January, 2013.
URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=38232
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