On Theory (as Pedagogy) in a Time of Excess

Drawing on the articles collected by Aaron W. Hughes in the newly published "Theory in a Time of Excess", this article argues that critical theory in religion has an important role to play in the public sphere of 2017. This is particularly true if scholars take seriously the suggestion of several of the authors in this edited volume, that critical theory in the study of religion must consist of the constant questioning both of specific theories, and of the social, political, and historical paradigm in which both theories and methods are chosen by scholars.