Samuel Kigar

Samuel Kigar is an Associate Professor at the University of Puget Sound, affiliated with the Department of Religion, Spirituality, and Society. His academic work centers on the history of Muslim political, legal, theological, and mystical thought, with a focus on territoriality, spatial belonging, and interreligious dynamics.

His current book project, Islamic Terroir: Religion, Community, and Land in Modern Morocco, explores the intersections of land, identity, and community in the Maghreb. He is also developing a second book, The Muslim Antigones, which examines parallels between Islamic and Western literary traditions, alongside participation in a multi-year working group analyzing Olga Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob at Columbia University and Indiana University.

Education:

• BA, Reed College (2006)
• MA, Duke University (2014)
• PhD, Duke University (2018)

Kigar’s teaching spans introductory and advanced courses on Islam, antisemitism and Islamophobia, Judaism, and the interplay between religion, politics, and environmental studies. Office hours are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30–4:40 p.m. or by appointment.