Fabricating Origins - Russell T. McCutcheon
19. Writing a History of Origins
Fabricating Origins - Russell T. McCutcheon
Russell T. McCutcheon [+]
University of Alabama
Russell T. McCutcheon is University Research Professor and, for 18 years, was the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. He has written on problems in the academic labor market throughout his 30-year career and helped to design and run Alabama’s skills-based M.A. in religion in culture. Among his recent work is the edited resource for instructors, Teaching in Religious Studies and Beyond (Bloomsbury 2024).
Description
How, then, do we write a history of origins? Well, start with whenever you hear, or whenever you read, “In the beginning…” (or any of its variants, such as “When I was a kid…,” “The Founding Fathers said…” or “The author intended…”), being sure to keep your eyes and ears on the storytellers, and the moves they make, and not get carried away by their tales.