Why are religious studies and theology not interchangeable disciplines?

Abstract

The article poses a seemingly strange problem: is it possible to conceive of the interchangeability of religious studies and theology? It is demonstrated, however, that modern discussions within each discipline tend to displace and marginalize the other. The author believes that the interdisciplinary war between religious studies and theology, which began in the 1990s within the framework of the discussion on the recognition of the latter as an educational and scientific discipline at the state level, is not over at present. It is shown that the argumentation of the parties is built in such a way that leads to the fall of prestige of scientific knowledge about religion in general. To address this problem, the author analyzes and correlates the focus of cognitive interest, subject areas, disciplinary structures, and traditions of both disciplines, and – through correlating the focus of cognitive interest, the community of authors, and the community-audience – their functions for society and the church. The author believes that in the face of the problematic status of scientific humanities knowledge in society and in the church, representatives of both disciplines need to abandon the rhetoric of substitutability and jointly try to present an understandable and academically correct response to the existential, social, and cultural demands associated with religion.