Pamela E. Klassen is a Professor in the Department for the Study of Religion at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, co-appointed to the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto and
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the ''Osgoode Hall La ...
at
York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
. In 2019, Klassen was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Canada judges to have "made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life ...
.
Education
Klassen completed her undergraduate studies in Political Science at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
in 1989. In 1992, Klassen earned The Graduate Gold Medal for Master of Arts at
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton. The newer Brantford and Milton campuses are not considered satellite campuses ...
for her thesis "Going by the Moon and the Stars: Stories of Two Russian Mennonite Women."
Career
Klassen joined the Department for the Study of Religion Faculty at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
(U of T) in 1997 after earning her PhD.
In 2002, she was granted
tenure by the University and eventually promoted to Full Professor by 2011.
Under supervision of
Karen McCarthy Brown
Karen McCarthy Brown (August 12, 1942 – March 4, 2015) was an anthropologist specializing in the anthropology of religion. She is best known for her groundbreaking book '' Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn'', which made great strides in de ...
, Klassen completed her PhD thesis on religion and home birth in 1997. She joined the Department for the Study of Religion at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
shortly thereafter.
Her doctoral work was published as a book entitled ''Blessed Events: Religion and Home Birth in America'', which described how women who give birth at home use religion to make sense of their births and in turn draw on their birthing experiences to bring meaning to their lives and families. Her next book, ''Spirits of Protestantism: Medicine, Healing, and Liberal Christianity'', won the
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholarly method, scholars in the List of academic disciplines, field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,
serving as a profes ...
Award for Excellence in 2012.
In 2012, she was the recipient of the American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in Religion for her book ''Spirits of Protestantism: Medicine, Healing, and Liberal Christianity.'' Three years later, she received the
Anneliese Maier Research Award, which included a €250,000 grant to study the role of religion and memory. That year, she also received the
Northrop Frye Award for distinguished achievements in linking teaching and research, for a third-year Religion in the city course co-taught with Professor Frances Garrett, and a Museums and Material Religion course with Professor Ajay Rao.
In 2016, Klassen was appointed Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Education at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Toronto.
In 2018, she published ''The Story of Radio Mind: A Missionary’s Journey on Indigenous Land'' through
The University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...
.
In 2019, Klassen was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Canada judges to have "made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klassen, Pamela
Living people
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Canadian women academics
Academic staff of the University of Toronto
Wilfrid Laurier University alumni
McGill University alumni
Date of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)