Department of Religions and Cultures
Faculty
Chair
NAFTALI COHN, PhD University of Pennsylvania; Professor
Distinguished Professors Emeriti
FREDERICK BIRD, PhD University of California, Berkeley
MICHEL DESPLAND, ThD Harvard University
JACK LIGHTSTONE, PhD Brown University
SHEILA MCDONOUGH, PhD McGill University
MICHAEL OPPENHEIM, PhD University of California, Santa Barbara
IRA ROBINSON, PhD Harvard University; Provost’s Distinction
T.S. RUKMANI, PhD DLitt University of Delhi
Professors
LYNDA CLARKE, PhD McGill University; Professor
CARLY DANIEL‑HUGHES, ThD Harvard University; Professor
LORENZO DITOMMASO, PhD McMaster University; Professor
RICHARD FOLTZ, PhD Harvard University; Professor
NORMA JOSEPH, PhD Concordia University; Professor
LESLIE ORR, PhD McGill University; Professor
NORMAN RAVVIN, PhD University of Toronto; Professor
Associate Professor
MARC DES JARDINS, PhD McGill University; Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
SOWPARNIKA BALASWAMINATHAN, PhD University of California, San Diego; Assistant Professor
Chair in Canadian Jewish Studies
MIRANDA CROWDUS, PhD City University London; Assistant Professor
Senior Lecturer
MARC LALONDE, PhD Concordia University; Senior Lecturer
Location
Note
For the complete list of faculty members, please consult the Department website.
Department Objectives
The Department of Religions and Cultures is dedicated to the academic study of various faiths and of social and cultural phenomena affected by religions. The curriculum includes the comparative study of many religious traditions of the world. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, students are encouraged to develop an understanding of at least two religious traditions. Whatever the student’s special focus, the informed appreciation of the beliefs and values of other cultures is considered an essential dimension of education for today’s world.