Religious studies

This chapter begins with a review of the place of Indigenous religions in departments of religious studies and in the study of religions more widely. Then, it argues that the research method most critical for the contemporary and future study of Indigenous religions derives from the notion 'local agency', which affirms that religious communities must play a major role in the aims, design, implementation and dissemination of any research project in which they form the primary subject matter of investigation. This chapter argues that acknowledging local agency eliminates the power imbalance traditionally maintained by scholars of Indigenous religions by making both researchers and those among or with whom they research equal partners and joint owners of any interpretations of the Indigenous knowledge obtained from academic studies.