Paul Morris (religious studies professor)
Encyclopedia
Paul Morris, MA McM, PhD Lanc, is the Programme Director for Religious Studies
at Victoria University of Wellington
, and provides regular comment to the media on matters of religious diversity
. He is the author of the New Zealand
National Statement on Religious Diversity
.
, UK. He studied a B.A.
in Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington under Professor Lloyd Geering
, an MA in Religious Studies at McMaster University
in Canada
, and a PhD
in Religious Studies at Lancaster University
where he was supervised by Professor Ninian Smart
. He taught at Lancaster from 1980 to 1994, and held various visiting positions, including Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara
; Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations
, Birmingham
; Visiting Professor of Humanities
, University of Queensland
; and Visiting Professor of Religion, Boston University
.
In the 1994 Morris returned to New Zealand when he was appointed Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University.
Research Committee and a member of the Management Committee of the Asia Studies Institute, former academic vice-president AUS VUW branch and a former elected member of the Arts
Faculty Planning Committee. He was the Convener of the review panel for the Review of Social Work and a member of the Council Working Party on Academic Quality.
Morris has been a member of the British Association for the Study of Religions, and is currently President and conference committee member of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion
(Section Chair
1998-2003), the International Association for the History of Religions (member of the Executive
Committee
2000-2005), and is on the editorial boards of Numen, Implicit Religions, Postscripts, and Beliefs and Values. He is also co-editor of the journal, Human Rights Research.
with a forward by Prime Minister Helen Clark
. The statement has been the subject of controversy in relation to its assertion that “New Zealand has no official or established religion.”
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, and provides regular comment to the media on matters of religious diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. He is the author of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
National Statement on Religious Diversity
National Statement on Religious Diversity
The National Statement on Religious Diversity is a result of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme, and is intended to provide “a framework for the recognition of New Zealand's diverse faith communities and their harmonious interaction with each other, with government and with other groups in...
.
Education & Professorship
Morris was born in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, UK. He studied a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Religious Studies at Victoria University of Wellington under Professor Lloyd Geering
Lloyd Geering
Sir Lloyd George Geering, ONZ, GNZM, CBE, born 26 February 1918, is a New Zealand theologian, who faced charges of heresy in 1967 for his controversial views. He considers Christian and Muslim fundamentalism to be "social evils"...
, an MA in Religious Studies at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Religious Studies at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
where he was supervised by Professor Ninian Smart
Ninian Smart
Professor Roderick Ninian Smart was a Scottish writer and university educator. He was a pioneer in the field of secular religious studies...
. He taught at Lancaster from 1980 to 1994, and held various visiting positions, including Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
; Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations
The Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations
The Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations based at Wesley House, Cambridge is an institute for the study and teaching of Jewish-Christian Relations and the promotion of interfaith dialogue...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
; Visiting Professor of Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
; and Visiting Professor of Religion, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
In the 1994 Morris returned to New Zealand when he was appointed Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University.
Other Roles
Professor Morris is a member of the Faculty of Humanities and Social SciencesSocial sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
Research Committee and a member of the Management Committee of the Asia Studies Institute, former academic vice-president AUS VUW branch and a former elected member of the Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
Faculty Planning Committee. He was the Convener of the review panel for the Review of Social Work and a member of the Council Working Party on Academic Quality.
Morris has been a member of the British Association for the Study of Religions, and is currently President and conference committee member of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
(Section Chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
1998-2003), the International Association for the History of Religions (member of the Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
Committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
2000-2005), and is on the editorial boards of Numen, Implicit Religions, Postscripts, and Beliefs and Values. He is also co-editor of the journal, Human Rights Research.
National Statement on Religious Diversity
A keen participant in the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme, Morris is the author of the National Statement on Religious DiversityNational Statement on Religious Diversity
The National Statement on Religious Diversity is a result of the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme, and is intended to provide “a framework for the recognition of New Zealand's diverse faith communities and their harmonious interaction with each other, with government and with other groups in...
with a forward by Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
. The statement has been the subject of controversy in relation to its assertion that “New Zealand has no official or established religion.”