New Books Network Russell T. McCutcheon, "Our Primary Expertise: A Future for the Study of Religion" (Rutgers UP, 2025)
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Nov 6, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Russell T. McCutcheon, a notable scholar in the study of religion, delves into his book, advocating for a reimagined approach to the field. He argues that religion should be viewed as a mundane aspect of human culture, increasing its relevance beyond academia. McCutcheon also highlights challenges in higher education, discusses shifting from content to transferable skills in teaching, and calls for a rethinking of graduate programs to better prepare scholars for diverse career paths.
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Uniqueness Has Hurt The Field
- The study of religion's claim to uniqueness isolated and weakened the field over decades.
- Russell McCutcheon argues seeing religion as mundane broadens the field's relevance across culture.
Reviving A Near-Dead Department
- McCutcheon recounts arriving to lead a tiny department on the brink of closure with low graduation numbers.
- He was hired as an outside chair and had to quickly reinvent the program to meet viability metrics.
Teach Examples Not Coverage
- McCutcheon reframed curriculum from content coverage to transferable skills and methods.
- He calls this the 'examples approach' that treats religious cases as exemplary of broader cultural phenomena.
