Analyzing the Discourse of Religious Phobia

Authors

  • Patricia G. Kirkpatrick McGill University
  • Arvind Sharma McGill University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26443/jcreor.v6i1.238

Keywords:

Religious phobia, Hinduphobia, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism

Abstract

This introduction examines religiophobia as a product of misrepresentation and irrational fear, drawing on examples from Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. Building on Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s comparative approach to the study of religion, it argues that dialogue, empathy, and attention to lived religious experience can challenge prejudice and foster greater interreligious understanding.

Author Biographies

Patricia G. Kirkpatrick, McGill University

Professor Patricia G. Kirkpatrick is an Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies and Hebrew Bible at McGill University, where she occupies the historic 1948 Chair. As a prominent biblical scholar, her achievements center on pioneering textual research and expanding academic programs in feminist and gender studies. Professor Kirkpatrick’s publications focus heavily on ancient Israelite historiography, narrative transmission, and the intersection of ancient text with modern cultural frameworks. Her foundational monograph, The Old Testament and Folklore Study (published by Sheffield Academic Press/Continuum), is widely recognized for its evaluation of how oral composition and folklore influence the historical reconstruction of ancient Israel. Her recent editorial contributions include the co-edited volume Christian Theology After Christendom: Engaging the Thought of Douglas John Hall (Lexington Books/Fortress Academic), which examines decolonizing frameworks within modern theology. She has also written highly cited analytical articles, such as "Curse God and Die—Job's Wife and the Struggle for Job's Transformation," which apply feminist hermeneutics to biblical scripture. Beyond her individual research, she served as a key institutional voice at McGill, shaping the academic curriculum as the Chair of the Women’s Studies Program and advising the Quebec Provincial Education Ministry.

Arvind Sharma, McGill University

Arvind Sharma is the Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University and a prominent scholar of Hinduism. Before entering academia, he served in the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1962 to 1968. He later pursued higher education in North America, earning an M.A. from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indian Studies from Harvard University. With a prolific academic career spanning several decades, Professor Sharma has authored or edited over 50 books and hundreds of articles. His research focuses extensively on Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of religion, women in world religions, and the intersection of faith and human rights. Notably, he organized major global conferences addressing the role of world religions after September 11, promoting a universal declaration of human rights across diverse faiths. In recognition of his distinguished contributions to literature, education, and global religious scholarship, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2025.

References

Angus Reid Institute. “Islamophobia in Canada: Four Mindsets Indicate Negativity Is Nationwide, Most Intense in Quebec.” March 13, 2023. https://angusreid.org/islamophobia-canada-quebec/.

Bordewich, Fergus M. “Letters: In Defence of Islamic Women.” The New York Times, December 30, 1973.

Canada. Parliament. House of Commons. House of Commons Debates. 44th Parl., 1st sess., vol. 151, no. 151. February 1, 2023. https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/house/sitting-151/hansard.

Nin, Anaïs. Seduction of the Minotaur. Alan Swallow, 1961.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Serialized in Znamya. St. Petersburg, 1903. Republished in full as an appendix to Sergei Nilus, The Great in the Small and the Antichrist. Redaktsiia Sviato-Troitskoi Sergievoi Lavry, 1905.

Statistics Canada. “Police-Reported Hate Crime, 2021.” March 22, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230322/dq230322a-eng.htm.

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Published

2026-08-30

How to Cite

Kirkpatrick, Patricia G., and Arvind Sharma. 2026. “Analyzing the Discourse of Religious Phobia”. Journal of the Council for Research on Religion 6 (1). Montreal, QC, Canada:ii–v. https://doi.org/10.26443/jcreor.v6i1.238.

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Analyzing the Discourse of Religious Phobia

Section

Preface and Introduction

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Patricia G. Kirkpatrick, Arvind Sharma

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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