HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 8 Original Research Max Müller, Charles Darwin and the science of religion Author: The science of religion, as a discipline distinct from theology emerging in the 19th century, 1 Ulrich Berner from the beginning was closely related to the discourse on Darwinism. This article focusses on Affiliation: Max Müller, known as ‘The father of Comparative Religion’, who was involved in the 1Department of Religious Darwinian discourse, compared with Jane Ellen Harrison who emphasised the impact of the Studies, Faculty of Cultural theory of evolution, approaching, however, the ‘scientific study of religion’ from a different Studies, University of viewpoint. Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany Contribution: From a historical point of view, this article discusses the relationship between Corresponding author: Ulrich Berner, different strands in Religious Studies (Religionswissenschaft), and, also, touches upon the
[email protected] relationship between Religious Studies and Theology. Dates: Keywords: Darwinism; comparative religion; theology; Max Müller; Jane E. Harrison. Received: 10 Apr. 2021 Accepted: 25 May 2021 Published: 05 Aug. 2021 When Jane Ellen Harrison, known as an expert on Greek religion, gave a talk on ‘The Influence of Darwinism on the Study of Religions’, she revealed to the audience that the title of her paper How to cite this article: might well have been ‘The Creation by Darwinism of the Scientific Study of Religions’ (Harrison Berner, U., 2021, ‘Max Müller, Charles Darwin and the 1915:143). Although she had changed the title, in order to avoid ‘any shadow of exaggeration’, she science of religion’, insisted that the new view on religion – regarding it as ‘a proper subject for scientific study’ – was HTS Teologiese Studies/ made ‘possible, and even necessary’ by the doctrine of evolution (Harrison 1915:143/144).