Religious Studies at McGill University
In May 2016, McGill's longstanding commitments to religious studies and theology were renewed and expanded with the establishment of the School of Religious Studies in the Faculty of Arts. Building on its long history at McGill, the School of Religious Studies continues to provide a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in the academic study of religious traditions and theology.
Faculty members in the School of Religious Studies engage many methods and disciplines, combining the historically focused study of religious traditions with approaches that explore contemporary expressions of religions and public policy. We incorporate perspectives from history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, politics and literature, among others. We bring together the study of classical languages and texts with field research and ethnography in order to examine the rich diversity of religious traditions.
The School of Religious Studies is the home to McGill’s Initiative in Globalization and the World’s Religions and the Birks Forum on the World's Religions and Public Policy. It is affiliated with the Montreal School of Theology. In 2013 a landmark gift from the Barbara and Patrick Keenan Foundation launched a series of major new developments including the establishment of the Keenan Chair in Interfaith Studies and a new flagship course "World Religions and the Cultures They Create" (RELG 208). The gift also funds a number of major fellowships and internships to provide formation and support for graduate and undergraduate students.