Welcome

As scholars, we often disagree about the values that ought to guide research in the academic study of religion. Can we study religion ”scientifically?” Should we? What is the purpose of scholarly research on religion? Which audiences should we address? How should our personal religiosity (or irreligiosity) shape our scholarship – if at all?

Of course, scholars are people too, and we can get touchy when talking about deeply held values. The situation in the academy is somewhat like an extended family gathering at Thanksgiving. Some scholars keep bringing up the problem of (other peoples’) values, and others just want us all to get along. Everyone feels the tension, but no one is sure what to do about it.

VISOR can help us have a more informed conversation around the academic table.

The goal of the research project is to gather information about the actual values held by contemporary scholars of religion across a wide variety of sub-disciplines.

How Can I Participate?

Data collection for the VISOR Project ended on December 31, 2017. Thank you for your participation!

NEWS: The first article published from the VISOR Project appeared at the beginning of 2020 in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The text is open access so you can read it here.

If you want to take some of the instant-feedback surveys at ExploringMyReligion.org or FaithInDepth.org, your VisorProject registration credentials will work on those sites. If you are not yet registered, you can register at those sites and begin taking surveys. Read our full privacy statement.