Thoughts on Dissecting an Octopus: Aaron Hughes, Marshall Hodgson and Navigating the Normative /Descriptive Divide in the Study of Islam

One reason I believe we, as scholars of religion, need to emphasize theory and method is precisely because they provide useful tools for helping us to navigate through what Safi refers to as “normative/ descriptive discussions.” Contrary to Hughes’ allegation that believers have a special problem in negotiating their relationship with their own tradition, I contend we all have to negotiate the issue of the relationship of our religious identity (or lack of it) to our scholarship.