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Three geographers in an archive: positions, predilections and passing comment on transient lives
Author(s) -
Bailey Adrian R,
Brace Catherine,
Harvey David C
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
transactions of the institute of british geographers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.196
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1475-5661
pISSN - 0020-2754
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-5661.2008.00334.x
Subject(s) - reflexivity , faith , sociology , historiography , subject (documents) , epistemology , social science , history , philosophy , computer science , archaeology , library science
Despite the existence of research conducted by geographers eschewing or professing religious faith, the influence of researchers and their methods have yet to receive critical attention within the study of religion. The experience of three geographers working on a three‐year research project suggests that it is vital to reflect upon the inter‐subjective relationships and methodologies used to reconstruct the religious past. How do different subject positions influence our selections from historical records? We also consider whether the spatialities of putatively ‘religious’ archives, whether formally or informally constituted, make a difference to the construction of historiographical knowledge. In attempting to answer these questions, the paper argues that developing an awareness of different types of positionality, vis‐à‐vis religious faith and practice, combined with reflexivity, vis‐à‐vis methodology, can enrich the interpretative reconstruction of the religious past.