Editing Theology (section)

===Religious studies===
In some contemporary contexts, a distinction is made between theology, which is seen as involving some level of commitment to the claims of the religious tradition being studied, and [[religious studies]], which by contrast is normally seen as requiring that the question of the truth or falsehood of the religious traditions studied be kept outside its field. Religious studies involves the study of historical or contemporary practices or of those traditions' ideas using intellectual tools and frameworks that are not themselves specifically tied to any religious tradition and that are normally understood to be neutral or secular.<ref>See, e.g., Wiebe, Donald. 2000. ''The Politics of Religious Studies: The Continuing Conflict with Theology in the Academy''. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.</ref> In contexts where 'religious studies' in this sense is the focus, the primary forms of study are likely to include:
* [[Anthropology of religion]]
* [[Comparative religion]]
* [[History of religion]]s
* [[Philosophy of religion]]
* [[Psychology of religion]]
* [[Sociology of religion]]
Sometimes, theology and religious studies are seen as being in tension,<ref>[[K. L. Noll|Noll, K. L.]] 27 July 2009. "[http://chronicle.com/article/The-Ethics-of-Being-a/47442/ The Ethics of Being a Theologian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927145003/http://chronicle.com/article/The-Ethics-of-Being-a/47442/ |date=27 September 2009 }}." ''[[The Chronicle of Higher Education|Chronicle of Higher Education]]''.</ref> and at other times, they are held to coexist without serious tension.<ref>Ford, David. 2009. "Theology and Religious Studies for a Multifaith and Secular Society." In ''Theology and Religious Studies in Higher Education'', edited by D. L. Bird and S. G. Smith. London: Continuum.</ref>
Occasionally it is denied that there is as clear a boundary between them.<ref>Fitzgerald, Timothy. 2000. ''The Ideology of Religious Studies''. Oxford: [[Oxford University Press]].</ref>