"Eileen Barker, Professor Emerita of Sociology at the London School of Economics, and arguably the world’s most senior scholar of new religious movements, explained to the audience [at the conference session New Religious Movements and Contemporary Threats to Religious Freedom] that there is a difference between the role of a sociologist of religion and the role of an advocate. To stress that you look at a religion with the neutral gaze of the social scientist is “the best way you can be an advocate,” Barker said. This does not mean, she added, that sociologists cannot have strong feelings for religious liberty, and they can help protecting it by debunking misinformation about religious minorities."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Sociologists from ScotlandWomen from ScotlandFellows of the British AcademyResearchers of new religious movements and cults
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Massimo Introvigne, "A Conference Discusses the Religious Liberty Crisis in Japan and Internationally", Bitter Winter (April 15, 2024)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eileen_Barker
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Eileen Barker
4 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Eileen Barker →
Related Quotes
"The rule of law is believed by most people to be “a good thing”—but that is only the case if the laws are just and fa…"
"Some of the new religions have undoubtedly performed some bad things at some times and some places. But the same coul…"
"Eileen Barker’s extraordinary work in religious studies and the defense of religious liberty has left an indelible ma…"
"Mon approche vise a comprendre un phénomène, pas à définir si une secte est "bonne" ou "mauvaise"."
"En 1976-1977, j'ai été actif dans certains mouvements politiques classés très à droite. Je ne dirai pas, comme certai…"
"Je dis parfois à ces interlocuteurs que je ne suis pas insensible à ce qu'ils vivent parce que j'ai eu moi aussi mon …"
"Dès que cela fut connu, en cette folle journée d'octobre 1994, il fallut faire face à un raz-de-marée journalistique …"
"Nous sommes aux antipodes de l'humilité propre aux saints et aux vrais maîtres spirituels. Le Temple Solaire sombre d…"
"Since the normal tendency is to simplify, to trivialize, to eliminate the unfamiliar word or construction, the rule i…"
"There is a tiny pause, right at the start of the film that caught at my heart, but I didn't think anyone else would n…"