Comparison and the Academic Study of Indigenous Religious Traditions

Abstract

The recent publication of two excellent volumes—Bruce Lincoln’s Apples and Oranges and Oliver Freiberger’s Considering Comparison—provides an auspicious moment to reflect on and interrogate the nature of comparison within religious studies generally, as well as a variety of subfields, including the academic study of indigenous religious traditions. This article carefully examines both books, analyzes Lincoln’s interpretations of Native American religious traditions within broader comparative frameworks, and discusses several recent developments regarding comparison in the academic study of indigenous religious traditions.