Developing a Critical Study of Non-Religion

In this interview with two RSP editors, Christopher R. Cotter (co-editor-in-chief) and Breann Fallon (managing co-editor), discuss the intellectual-journey that brought Cotter to his newest publication: The Critical Study of Non-Religion: Discourse, Identification and Locality (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020). Cotter begins by providing an overview of previous literature in the area, highlighting the common missteps in the study of non-religion within the Religious Studies academy. Here, Cotter illuminates how he directly responded to those missteps via the creation of his specific methodology, bringing together locality and discourse analysis to create a critical lens for the study of non-religion. Looking specifically at Southside Edinburgh, Cotter highlights some of his findings before turning to the usefulness of his methodology outside of the study of non-religion. Finishing on a candid note, Fallon and Cotter discuss both the positive and negative academic relationships that influenced the creation of this book, bringing their discussion of the intellectual-journey in the creation of this publication full-circle.