Religion

Faculty List

University Professor 
J.S. Kloppenborg, MA, PhD, FRSC (T)

Professors Emeriti 
A.T. Davies, BA, BD, STM, PhD (V) 
C.T. McIntire, MA, M Div, PhD (V) 
G.P. Richardson, B Arch, BD, PhD, FRSC, FRAIC (U) 
L.E. Schmidt, MA, PhD (SM) 
R.E. Sinkewicz, AM, M Div, D Phil (CMS) 
J.M. Vertin, MA, STL, PhD (SM)

Professor and Chair of the Department 
P. Klassen, MA, PhD, FRSC (V)

Professor and Associate Chair, Undergraduate
S. Raman, MA, PhD

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream and Undergraduate Student Advisor
S. Gallant, MA, PhD

Professors
S. Coleman, MA, PhD
J. Dicenso, MA, PhD
H. Fox, MS, MA, PhD
R. Gibbs, MA, PhD (U)
K. H. Green, MA, PhD (U)
M. Hewitt, MA, PhD (T)
A. Mittermaier, MA, PhD
J. Newman, MAR, PhD (V)
K. O'Neill, MA, PhD
W. Saleh, MA, PhD
J. Schipper, PhD
N. Seidman, MA, PhD

Associate Professors
R. Charles, M Div, MTS, PhD
A. Dhand, MA, PhD (V) 
C. Emmrich, MA, D Phil (University of Toronto Mississauga) 
F. Garrett, MA, PhD 
J. Harris, MA, PhD
N. Junior, BSFS, MPA, M Div, PhD 
J. Marshall, MA, PhD (U) 
R. Marshall, MIA, D Phil 
N. Moumtaz, M Phil, PhD
A. Rao, MA, PhD (University of Toronto Mississauga) 
K. Ruffle, MA, PhD (University of Toronto Mississauga) 
J. B. Scott, PhD (University of Toronto Missisauga)
K. Smith, MA, PhD (University of Toronto Mississauga) 
S. Virani, MA, PhD (University of Toronto Mississauga) 

Associate Professors (Teaching Stream)
S. Goldberg, MA, PhD
Y. Nizri, BFA, PhD

Assistant Professors
K. Barclay, MA, PhD
S. Dost, AM, PhD (University of Toronto Scarborough)
A. Graheli, MA, PhD
A. Hampton, MA, PhD
S. Kim, MA, PhD 
R. Lindsay, MA, PhD
S. Verskin, PhD
K. J. White, MA, PhD

Assistant Professors (Teaching Stream) 
S. Gallant, MA, PhD
E. Mills, BSc, D Phil

The Study of Religion

The Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) is a vibrant site of research and teaching where you can study diverse religious and spiritual traditions in their historical, cultural, political, and textual contexts. As a religion department located in one of the most multi-religious and multi-cultural cities in the world, our undergraduate courses attract a remarkably wide range of students curious about religion and how to study it in university. Our courses cover numerous traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous spiritualities, Islam, and Judaism, and also focus on existential questions, such as the nature of happiness, narratives of creation, evil and suffering, and love, sex and family. Some of our students may have grown up with religious traditions while many have no religious affiliation or background whatsoever; every student is welcome in our classes. Our courses equip you with the critical and methodological skills, writing ability, and language training that you need. DSR students learn to ask how power, creativity, and contestation are central to religion and to examine how religion is connected to other categories of experience such as gender, sexuality, and racialization. DSR undergraduate students combine religion programs and courses with a wide variety of other programs of study, including environmental studies, political science, computer science, women and gender studies, and college programs such as international relations and cognitive science. 

The DSR is also proud to be a part of The Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP), which is a professional work-integrated learning program for Faculty of Arts & Science students enrolled in specific programs of study. This includes the following DSR programs: Religion Major (ASMAJ0151), Religion Specialist (ASSPE0151).

Students enrolled in the ASIP stream complete mandatory Professional Development programming plus a minimum of 12 and maximum of 20 months of paid, full-time, academically related work experience. The time to degree completion for students enrolled in ASIP is normally 5 years. ASIP is administered by the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Experiential Learning & Outreach Support (ELOS) Office. The ASIP stream of each program is limited enrolment. Students will typically be admitted to the ASIP stream of their program for the Fall term of Year 2 of study. Please refer to the ASIP Eligibility page for further details for detailed entry requirements.

More detailed information concerning the department, our programs, particular courses, and our Religion Undergraduate Students’ Association (RUSA) can be found on our website: https://www.religion.utoronto.ca/undergraduate. 

Undergraduate Program Assistant: 
Phoebe To 
Jackman Humanities Building, Room 310 
religion.undergrad@utoronto.ca (416-978-2395)

Undergraduate Student Advisor:
Dr. Sarah Gallant
Jackman Humanities Building, Room 216
sarah.gallant@utoronto.ca 

Your Pathways in the Study of Religion

100-Level Courses

Our 100-level courses introduce you to the study of religion, while tackling existential questions such as life, death, embodiment, the mind, and belief. We aim to provide communities of learning that provide foundational skills such as critical thinking, close reading, active listening, writing, oral presentation, and discussion. You can choose larger lecture classes and smaller first-year seminars. Most of our first- and second-year courses also provide extra support through the Writing-Integrated Teaching program.

200-Level Courses

Our 200-level courses give you entryways into specific religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Indigenous Religions, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, as well as specific ‘lenses’ into the study of religion, for instance through language or music. We also teach you different methodological and disciplinary approaches through our ‘Study of Religion’ course, which is required for all Majors and Specialists. Overall, we encourage you to think comparatively about what counts as ‘religion’ in specific contexts. We offer both large lecture classes with tutorials and some smaller classes. Students can take a 200-level course without having taken any prior RLG courses.

300-Level Courses

Our 300-level courses focus on providing you with skills of critical thinking while learning about religion. We encourage you to think about significant themes that cross-cut religious traditions, such as migration, politics, human rights, sexuality, pilgrimage, spaces, visions and revelations, and so on, and we often draw on forms of experiential learning and multi-media platforms for presenting the results of lengthier research projects. All 300-level courses normally presuppose that a student has already completed, by the first day of the course, at least 4.0 credits in any field.

400-Level Courses

Our 400-level courses consist of smaller and intensive seminars, where you engage closely with each other and with instructors. We encourage you to engage in advanced critical reflection on how and why you study religion in an academic setting and to develop your own voice as a thinker who can speak and write publicly about religion. We offer a Religion in the Public Sphere (RPS) community-engaged learning course, as well as seminars designed solely for undergraduates and several joint grad/undergrad seminars. 400-level courses are intended primarily but not exclusively for Specialists and Majors who have already completed several RLG courses. That said, students who have taken cognate courses, e.g., anthropology, history, philosophy, are welcome to enrol.