Blurb:

Current trends in academia are motivating scholars to look to private funders and funding institutions to fund their research. In this essay, Alles contends that this is not as novel as it might seem. Indeed, the history of the study of religion in the United States is a history that includes private funding at every step of the study of religion’s development and evolution. If private funding is not new, however, there is increased importance on the topic as funding from educational institutions dwindlers. Alles contends that scholars should accept private funding knowing the potential limits and agendas that accompany it. Educated scholars will be able to more successfully navigate the world of private funding and use it to their advantage.