Trinity Western University is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Wilkinson, PhD, as interim Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Dr. Wilkinson is a sociologist whose research focuses on cultural analyses of religion. He is chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (2019–present), coordinator of the Canadian Pentecostal Research Network (2006–present), and, previously, director of the Religion in Canada Institute (2007–2019) and coordinator of Trinity Western’s Sociology program (2005–2018). A full professor, Dr. Wilkinson has been teaching at Trinity Western in the areas of sociology of religion, religion and culture, and globalization since 2005. He has also held faculty appointments at the University of Ottawa, Ambrose University, Queen’s University, and University of Birmingham (UK). Dr. Wilkinson has served in a number of administrative roles with the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, the Association for the Sociology of Religion, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and as president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
Dr. Wilkinson publishes extensively on immigration and religion, evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and globalization. In 2020, he co-authored a book with Linda Ambrose on the history and influence of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada titled, After the Revival: Pentecostalism and the Making of a Canadian Church (McGill-Queen’s University Press). Dr. Wilkinson is the executive editor for Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism (2021) surveying the global rise of Pentecostalism as one of the most important developments in modern Christianity. Presently he is working as co-editor with Jörg Haustein on the Routledge publication, Pentecostal World.
For the past two decades, Dr. Wilkinson has conducted important research on religion and culture in Canada. As lead researcher in the project, “Flourishing Congregations in Canada,” funded by the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (2019–2023), he and his team are studying Catholic, mainline Protestant, and evangelical Protestant churches in Canada. Dr. Wilkinson also worked on numerous research projects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada including “Religion, Spirituality, Secularity, and Society in the Pacific Northwest” (2017-2020), “The Role of Churches in Immigrant Settlement and Integration” (2013-2015), “Religion and Diversity Project” (2010-2017), and “New Immigrant Youth, Religion, and Culture Project” (2008-2010). He has also received research grants from the Templeton Foundation, the Centre for Research on Canadian Evangelicals, and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture.
Dr. Wilkinson completed his doctoral research in 1999 at the University of Ottawa assessing the impact of migration from Africa, Asia, and Latin America on Christianity in Canada. In 1993, he completed a master's degree at Wilfrid Laurier University investigating social scientific approaches for understanding religion and culture. In 1992, he graduated with distinction from Carleton University with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology.
Provost Todd Martin remarks, "Dr. Wilkinson is a world-class scholar in global Pentecostalism and a prolific writer in the area of religion and culture in Canada. It has been my honour to work alongside him for the past 10 years. He played an instrumental role in the development and accreditation of the Sociology major/minor and Human Services certificate, and he has been a champion of many initiatives in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences over his 15-plus years at TWU. I am grateful for his willingness to serve in the role and look forward to seeing the faculty continue to flourish."
President Mark Husbands comments, "I am thrilled that Dr. Wilkinson has been appointed interim Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Michael is a remarkably accomplished Christian scholar whose work distinguishes him as one of the leading Christian thinkers in Canada."
"The care, sophistication, and scope of his analysis of Christianity, Culture, and the diversity and flourishing of immigrant Christian communities speaks to his ability to appreciate the complexity, beauty, and growth of global Christianity here in Canada and beyond," he continues. "I am confident that Michael's administrative gifts, longstanding care for the University, and genuine appreciation for his colleagues' gifts, faith, and expertise, will enable him to guide, champion, and support the significant contribution of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Trinity Western."
Please join us in welcoming Michael Wilkinson, PhD, as interim Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.