What Applied Implies: A Reflection on the Identity of the Religious Research Association

Abstract

In this 2018 Presidential Address to the Religious Research Association, I explore the applied religious identity of the Association. This address also addresses the manner in which individual basic research efforts could benefit from key practices of an applied research mindset. This applied identity is central to the Religious Research Association as I show from a sketch of its history and through references to previous Presidential addresses. I then discuss three questions that an applied orientation raises for individual research, for dissemination of research findings, and for the future of the Association. I propose answers to this final question that suggest out possible directions forward for the Association to strengthen its distinctive identity characteristic while also addressing the current needs of the broader religious community.