American Academy of Religion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religion and related topics. It was founded in 1909.
As a learned society and professional association of teachers and research scholars, the American Academy of Religion has over 8,000 members who teach in some 1,500 colleges, universities, seminaries, and schools in North America and abroad. The Academy is dedicated to furthering knowledge of religion and religious institutions in all their forms and manifestations. This is accomplished through Academy-wide and regional conferences and meetings, publications, programs, and membership services.
Within a context of free inquiry and critical examination, the Academy welcomes all disciplined reflection on religion--both from within and outside of communities of belief and practice--and seeks to enhance its broad public understanding.
The AAR publishes a journal and holds an annual meeting each year in November. Both the journal and the annual meeting are considered the most prestiguous outlets for the scholarly study of religion in the world.
[edit] Criticisms
AAR has been criticized for its quality of research and its portrayal of Hinduism. Its RISA unit (Religions In South Asia) has specifically been criticized for an allegedly poor portrayal of Hinduism and failure to engage South Asian scholars or the Hindu diaspora within the United States.
