Richard Foltz

Richard Foltz is a Professor in the Department of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University, specializing in the cultural history of the broader Iranian world including Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus region.

Education

• PhD from Harvard University

Research Interests

His scholarship centers on Iranian history, Central Asian ethnic groups (particularly Tajiks and Ossetes), and religious traditions including Zoroastrianism, Yezidism, Mithraism, and Manichaeism. He examines the Silk Road as a conduit for premodern globalization, analyzing religious syncretism and cultural exchange across Eurasia from antiquity to contemporary periods. His work bridges historical analysis with religious studies to document surviving ancient traditions in modern contexts.

Publication Trends

Recent monographs demonstrate a concentrated focus on ethnic historiography within the Iranian sphere, with successive works on Ossetes (2021) and Tajiks (2019) establishing comparative frameworks for understanding Persianate cultural influence. Earlier foundational texts on Silk Road religions (2010) and Iran's world historical role (2016) reveal consistent thematic threads exploring religious globalization and civilizational continuity.

Teaching and Mentorship

• Graduate seminars: Ancient Iran (2016), Religions of the Silk Road (2015)

Professor Foltz maintains active graduate supervision within his specialized fields, though specific student names are not documented in available university profiles.