On Friday 12 June, the Faculty of Theology and Religion hosted its Trinity Term Research Event, featuring
Professor Sondra Hausner's book, ‘A Genealogy of Method: Anthropology's Ancestors and the Meaning of Culture’.
Professor Hausner introduced the publication and reflected on its central themes. In ‘A Genealogy of Method: Anthropology's Ancestors and the Meaning of Culture’, Professor Hausner examines the intellectual history of anthropology through the figures and traditions that have shaped the discipline's methods. Tracing debates about culture, comparison, and ethnographic inquiry across successive generations of scholars, the book explores how anthropologists have sought to understand human difference and social life, while reflecting on the continuing significance of these methodological inheritances for contemporary research.
The event was chaired by
Professor Mark Edwards. Responses were offered by
Professor Gavin Flood and
Professor Mark Harris, whose remarks engaged with the book's treatment of anthropological method, culture, and ethnographic inquiry. The discussion that followed brought together colleagues and students from across the University, considering the questions raised by the book and their relevance for the study of religion, anthropology, and the humanities more broadly.
The Faculty hosts research events each term as part of its commitment to fostering an active and supportive research environment. Through seminars, workshops, and collaborative discussion, these events provide opportunities to engage with new publications and current research across theology, religious studies, anthropology, and related disciplines.
