The Scientific Study on Religion in Western Scholarship: A Study on Christianity with the Christian Others

A considerable number of scholars claim that the scientific study of religion did not emerge before the end of the 19th century due to Muller’s significance. His approach of studying religion provided the essential basis for the scientific study of religions in the modern period. The emphasis on “objective” and “scientific” methods are dominant in Friedrich Max Muller (1794-1827), which has led modern scholars to apply certain characteristics of interpreting religion. Paden (1992) also agrees that Christian relations with other religions have significantly influenced religious study in the West, especially its affiliation with Asian religions. Scholars have thoroughly discussed the experience of Christianity with non-Christians, which leads to different views on the meaning of religion and religious experience, especially of those outside Christianity. The method used in this article is a descriptive and analytical study. The article will examine some groups of scholars who sought to liberate theology from traditional Christianity, which later prompted the advancement of religious pluralism. Therefore, in doing so, the article will examine the development of scientific study on religion by Western scholars. It will also consult Muslim’s arguments to on how Western study of religion has become a subject of transition and change in the modern understanding of religious diversity.