Wilfred Cantwell Smith
Wilfred Cantwell Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 July 1916 |
| Died | 7 February 2000 (aged 83) |
| Other names | W. C. Smith |
| Spouse |
Muriel Struthers (m. 1939) |
| Children |
|
| Ecclesiastical career | |
| Religion | Christianity (Presbyterian) |
| Church | |
| Ordained | 1944 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | The Azhar Journal: Analysis and Critique (1948) |
| Doctoral advisor | Philip K. Hitti |
| Other advisors | |
| Influences | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Religious studies |
| Sub-discipline | |
| Institutions | |
| Main interests | Religious pluralism |
| Notable works | The Meaning and End of Religion (1961) |
| Influenced | |
Wilfred Cantwell Smith, OC FRSC (July 21, 1916 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian Islamicist, comparative religion scholar, and Presbyterian minister. He was the founder of the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Quebec and later the director of Harvard University's Center for the Study of World Religions. The Harvard University Gazette said he was one of the field's most influential figures of the past century. In his 1962 work The Meaning and End of Religion he notably questioned the modern sectarian concept of religion.