Samuel Nelson

Samuel Nelson serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at McGill University's Faculty of Arts. His teaching portfolio includes courses such as Varieties of Religious Experience in Christianity, Religion and Globalization, Religion, Politics and Society, and Methods in Religious Studies, reflecting his interdisciplinary engagement with religious phenomena.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of Chicago
• Master of Arts (M.A.) from Yale University
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Yale University

Research Focus

Professor Nelson's research lies at the intersection of historical sociology and religious studies. He investigates secularization processes, church-state dynamics, religious organizational structures, and the role of religion in imperial and colonial contexts. His current monograph, Organizing the Global Millennium, explores the 18th-century evangelical Protestant missions within European empires, highlighting how religious movements shaped and were shaped by global transformations.

Graduate Supervision

He actively supervises graduate students pursuing research in historical sociology of religion, comparative secularization, and the interplay between religion, politics, law, and public life, fostering the next generation of scholars in these fields.