United Church of Canada Research Chair
UWinnipeg Research Chairs
The University of Winnipeg’s United Church of Canada Research Chair in Contemporary Theology was established in 2016 to sustain and foster theological research and education.
The award is intended to foster interdisciplinary networking among faculty and students in areas intersecting with theology and spirituality, to encourage and support interdisciplinary research collaborations and knowledge mobilization events, conferences or workshops with the aim of engaging scholarly and public audiences, and to support students in related programs and courses or students and faculty involved in interdisciplinary research involving theology.
The candidates should be University of Winnipeg faculty members who:
- hold a doctorate in Theology or related discipline
- have a record of research and publication that relates theology to issues of social, ecological, and economic justice
- have potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students, and future researchers
- are proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality
The Chair will typically be awarded triennially to an internal candidate for a term of three years.
Faculty members with a research doctorate in Theology or related discipline and a record of research and publication that relates theology to issues of social, ecological, and economic justice are invited tosubmit proposals for the University of Winnipeg’s United Church of Canada Research Chair in Contemporary Theology.
Current and Former United Church of Canada Research Chair in Contemporary Theology
Dr. William "Rory" Dickson
Awarded: April 2021
Dr. William “Rory” Dickson is an associate professor in the Department of Religion and Culture whose research and published works focus on contemporary Islam in general, and on Islamic mysticism (Sufism) in particular. Dr. Dickson's first book Living Sufism in North America: Between Tradition and Transformation (State University of New York Press, 2015) explores how Sufi leaders in North America understand Islam, authority, and gender. He has coauthored an introduction to Sufism with Meena Sharify-Funk, Unveiling Sufism: From Manhattan to Mecca (Equinox, 2017), and a study of contemporary Sufism with Meena Sharify-Funk and Merin Shobhana Xavier, Contemporary Sufism: Piety, Politics, and Popular Culture (Routledge, 2018).
作为加拿大研究主席,联合教堂Dic博士kson will produce a new book, tentatively titled “Being in the World: Understanding Sufism and Islam through the Fusus al-Hikam,” which aims to make some of Islamic spirituality’s profound insights available to a broad reading audience, particularly those interested in how the wisdom within historical religions can assist us in addressing the pressing social challenges we currently face as a global society.
Dr. Arthur Walker-Jones
Awarded: December 2016
Dr. Arthur Walker-Jones specializes in ecotheological interpretation of the Bible. He is the author ofThe Green Psalter: Resources for an Ecological SpiritualityandHebrew for Biblical Interpretation,as well as a numerous scholarly articles and conference presentations. He is currently involved in theHuman Distinctiveness Project, which trained theologians in evolutionary anthropology for research at the interface of anthropology and theology on the evolution of wisdom, and is writing a commentary on Book Two of the Psalms for theEarth Bible Commentary. He is co-chair of the Roman Catholic United Church Dialogue on Climate Change, has been involved in a number of environmental campaigns, organized conferences on climate change, and led church studies and retreats on ecotheology.