How is religion depicted in the academic study of religion How do private donors selectively privilege certain descriptions of religion and to what ends Do the practical needs of students align or conflict with the theoretical concerns of scholarsampampnbspTo what extent do answers to these questions reveal shared challenges or fault lines across the field of studyPrevious volumes in the NAASR Working Papers series have made critical reflections on key domains such as theory method data and categories. On the Subject of Religion takes a step back to consider syncretically how religion is imagined or invented through several lenses.ampampnbspOn the Subject of Religion takes as its inspiration the work of the late Jonathan Z. Smith who challenged scholars to be mindful of the ways in which they imagine religion and religious data.