The Legacy of Wilfred Cantwell Smith

Ellen Bradshaw Aitken, Arvind Sharma, Ellen Bradshaw Aitken, Arvind Sharma

• Publisher: SUNY Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781438464701
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Comparative Religion

This is the first work to address the legacy of Wilfred Cantwell Smith (1916–2000), whose intellectual and institutional contributions helped shape the field of religious studies in the latter half of the twentieth century. As a young scholar, Smith taught Indian and Islamic history in Lahore for several years and witnessed the partition of India. Upon his return to North America, he obtained his PhD at Princeton University before embarking upon a long and distinguished career. He founded the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University and served as director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University. Smith emphasized the place of the scholarly study of Islam in the Western academy long before Islam occupied its current position at the center of global politics, challenged the notion of monolithic world religions, and argued for the importance of dialogical processes and a personalist approach to the study of religion. Contributors to this volume, many of whom were Smith's students, provide a wide-ranging exploration of his influence and legacy.

Index

Abrahamic traditions, 2–3, 48, 55, 107, 195

American Academy of Religion (AAR), 56, 118, 132n2

anthropology of religion, 28, 48, 105, 112, 175, 187, 189, 194, 198

Asad, Talal, 101; critique of Smith, 102–6, 110–12, 191

Asani, Ali, 123, 132n18

Augustine, Saint, 50, 197–98

Buddhism: history of, 14–15; influence on contemplative studies, 71; study of, 211–12; study of Buddhists, 178, 208, 213, 220, 223; as world religion, 10–11, 27, 129, 188

Cambridge University: approach to history, 185; Nehru at, 150; Smith’s work at, 1–2, 86, 88, 110, 137, 141, 153, 184, 200n6; socialist ideals at, 148–49, 164

Christianity, 127; as Abrahamic tradition, 2–3, 10, 53; Christian scholars, 11, 22, 29–30, 51, 106–7, 139, 166, 198, 208; Christian social gospel, 147–150, 157, 169n6; as dominating worldview, 89; history of, 13, 24, 50, 80, 128, 153, 189; influence of contemplative studies, 71; and modernity, 6; and pluralism, 6–8, 57, 130, 152, 158, 209, 210; Sermon on the Mount, 7; study of, 28–29, 40, 149, 181n8, 221; study of Christians, 4, 11, 141, 149, 214, 222, 223–24; as world religion, 11, 27. See also theology

Center for the Study of World Religions: approach of, 26–28, 40, 92, 101, 186; architect of, 43; colloquia, 22, 28, 30; contradictions of, 107; seminars at, 26, 28; Sla...