How would a student of religion, who may or may not have any religious convictions, set about examining a religion with which they were unfamiliar with, using methodology?

I think the important question here is what do we mean by methodology?

That is true what is the sense in which you are using it? Also we are all humans so we have our thoughts about all subjects there is nothing that we don't have a thought on. Now that being the case then we must say that with you thought comes your critacisim and with that is your convictions, you might not hate one religion or like one better then the other but you damn sure do feel away about all of them! If you are going to study religions you must study them with an open mind and know that everything people tell you is from there own perspective of the issue, also know that all religions brack down into catogorys and dogma's

I would say you start with a very basic comparison religion class.

You would then decide what points you wish to study. And you need to study from that religoins teachings, not others teachings about that church

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Originally Posted by supersilver

how would a student of religion, who may or may not have any religious convictions, set about examining a religion with which they were unfamiliar with, using methodology?

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You do what I did. You put the religion in question under skeptical analysis.
You put faith and belief off to one side and use reason and logic as your tools.