Religion Compass

Religion Compass is an online-only journal published by Wiley, providing a unique 'peer-to-peer' introduction to the major sub-fields in religious studies, including Christian studies, Islamic studies, Hindu studies, and ethics. The journal publishes state-of-the-art peer-reviewed surveys of current thinking and research in religious studies.

Religion Compass publishes original, peer-reviewed surveys of current research from across the field of religious studies. The journal provides both experts and non-specialists with an accessible and comprehensive introduction to emerging topics and contemporary research. Each article offers a synoptic overview of key themes, debates, and recent scholarship, making Religion Compass an essential resource for researchers, students, and anyone seeking to understand the latest developments in the study of religion.

Published: 31 December 2025

Articles

Examining the Doctrine of Discovery in Religion and Indigenous Studies

Since the publication of Pagans in the Promised Land by Steven T. Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape), scholarship on the Doctrine of Discovery has expanded significantly as a central issue in Indigenous law and politics. However, its implications remain underexamined in Religious Studies, Indigenous Studies, and legal scholarship. This article analyzes the matrix of enslavement, exploitation, and extraction that Newcomb identifies within settler-colonial systems and examines how scholars in Religious Studies, Legal Studies, and Indigenous Studies have engaged with the Doctrine of Discovery. Situating the Doctrine of Discovery within the broader analytical frameworks of enslavement, systemic violence, and religious imperialism reveals its deep entanglement with historic and legal structures of oppression. Examining its intersections with Religious Studies and postcolonial scholarship uncover how white Christian hegemony maintains its dominion and exposes the fragility of any perceived boundary between church and state.

Adam DJ Brett