oa Insider of buitenstaander?

It is argued in this article that the question, whether religion should be studied ‘from within’ or ‘from without’ constitutes a false dilemma, as far as Religionswissenschaft is concerned. Adoption of this dilemma and of the metaphor on which it is based, inevitably leads to ideological bias. The Religionswissenschaftler, therefore, cannot but approach his object ‘from without’. Regardless of his convictions about religion as a private person, as a scientist he is necessarily an outsider.