Ling, T.2019-09-252019-09-252016-06-131967http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/153565"An extremely pious clergyman, hearing from a student of mine that the comparative study of religion fmmed part of her university course, exclaimed with horror, "My dear, I would rather you read Lady Chatterley's Lover than that subject!" The desperate nature of the comparison shows how strong: his feelings must have been. He added, by way of explanation, that at least you were aware the Devil was attacking you when you read D. H. Lawrence. This attitude is by no means rare. The assumption is that the academic study of religion in a world context is destructive of Christian faith. Of course, if one's view of the nature and significance of religion is framed in such a way as to deliberately exclude a great deal of the relevant material, then the opening of windows on to Islamic, or Buddhist, or Hindu vistas may be an embarrassment."engWith permission of the license/copyright holderComparative Religionworld contextChristian faithsecularizationReligious ethicsComparative religious ethicsChristian denominationsComparative religion and interreligious dialogueArticle