Canadian Society for the Study of Religion

Canadian Society for the Study of Religion
Name	Canadian Society for the Study of Religion
Formation	1965
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Language	English and French
Leader title	President

Canadian Society for the Study of Religion is a Canadian scholarly association dedicated to the academic study of religion in Canada and internationally. Founded in the mid-20th century, the society connects researchers, educators, and institutions across provinces and territories to promote interdisciplinary scholarship on faith, ritual, and belief systems. It collaborates with universities, museums, archives, and funding agencies to support conferences, publications, and pedagogical initiatives.

History

The society emerged during a period of institutional growth in Canadian higher education influenced by figures associated with University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and Queen's University and with intellectual movements linked to Durkheim, Max Weber, Mircea Eliade, Rudolf Otto, and Paul Tillich. Early meetings attracted scholars from Canadian Historical Association, Royal Society of Canada, American Academy of Religion, and International Association for the History of Religions, reflecting transatlantic ties to Harvard University, Oxford University, University of Cambridge, Université de Montréal, and Université Laval. The society's formation paralleled curricular developments at institutions such as McMaster University, York University, University of Saskatchewan, Concordia University, and University of Manitoba and responded to national policy contexts shaped by ministers from Parliament of Canada and commissioners tied to cultural agencies like Canada Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage.

Organization and governance

Governance follows a council model with elected officers including a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer drawn from faculties at University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, and University of Alberta. Advisory roles have included representatives from archives and museums such as the Canadian Museum of History and libraries like the Library and Archives Canada. The society coordinates with allied bodies such as Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, American Academy of Religion, British Association for the Study of Religions, and regional associations at Université de Sherbrooke and Memorial University of Newfoundland. Statutes and bylaws reflect Canadian non-profit law and nonprofit registration practices common to entities registered in Ontario and overseen by provincial corporations branches.

Membership and conferences

Membership comprises faculty, graduate students, independent scholars, museum curators, archivists, and public intellectuals affiliated with institutions like University of Victoria, Dalhousie University, Simon Fraser University, Université de Laval, and Brock University. Annual meetings rotate among host institutions, with conferences previously organized at venues such as McGill University, University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, and Queen's University. Panels have featured work engaging archives like Hudson's Bay Company Archives, field sites such as Vancouver Island, comparative sessions referencing India, China, Japan, Israel, and panels with scholars connected to centers like Centre for the Study of Religion and Society, Centre for the Study of Religion and American Culture, and interdisciplinary programs at Trinity College.

Publications and research initiatives

The society supports peer-reviewed outlets and collaborative projects with publishers and journals associated with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, University of Toronto Press, McGill-Queen's University Press, and periodicals that include cross-listings with Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Numen, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, and Canadian journals produced at University of Manitoba Press. Research initiatives have secured funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grants and partnerships with research centers at McGill University, University of Toronto Scarborough, Université de Montréal, and international collaborations involving University of Oxford, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale University. The society has promoted digital humanities projects drawing on collections at Library and Archives Canada, datasets curated at Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and collaborative catalogues with museum partners like Royal Ontario Museum.

Awards and recognition

The society administers prizes and fellowships acknowledging scholarship, dissertation research, and lifetime achievement linked to universities such as McGill University, University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, and funding agencies including Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and foundations like Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Award ceremonies have been held in conjunction with annual meetings hosted at institutions like Queen's University, Dalhousie University, and University of British Columbia, and have recognized work that engages archival collections such as Hudson's Bay Company Archives and thematic projects on Indigenous religious traditions connected to organizations like Assembly of First Nations and museums such as the Canadian Museum of History.

Education and outreach

Outreach programs collaborate with educational institutions, including secondary school initiatives linked to provincial ministries in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, museum education departments at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian Museum of History, and community partners such as Multiculturalism councils and immigrant settlement organizations. The society promotes curriculum development with teacher training programs at University of Alberta, public lecture series with civic venues like Toronto City Hall and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and public scholarship partnerships with media outlets and publishers tied to CBC/Radio-Canada and cultural festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival and academic public forums hosted by Munk School of Global Affairs.

Category:Learned societies of Canada