Conditions and basic method for the practice of applied study of religion

This is a discussion in philosophy of the study of religion - that is, of philosophy of science focused on the problems and themes of the discipline "study of religion" ("SR"). My objective is to defend that applied SR can only be carried out (1) if it is based on basic research in SR, both empirical and theoretical, and (2) if it is practiced professionally by those who are institutionally trained in SR. Our method is persuasive, argumentative writing, which defends a thesis about a given problem, seeking to argue to readers about the advantages of my position and the errors of divergent positions. The conduct of this argument goes through the search to answer the main research problem: how is it possible to carry out a practical application of SR effectively? The article is structured in three parts that seek a line of reasoning that responds to the problem. First, I argue for the necessary relationship between basic SR and applied SR. Second, I argue that those who are institutionally trained in this area apply the SR. Third, I present a method that uses a primary criterion to make applied SR that is a logical consequence of the first two parts. I conclude that the multidisciplinary term "applied religious studies" is incoherent, and applied SR only makes sense as an autonomous "applied study of religions." As well as that, training in SR needs to provide, from the curriculum, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the scholar of religions to know how to apply professionally your area of training.