For more than 30 years, Father Edward Jackman, Order of Preachers (O.P.), and the Jackman Foundation have generously supported the groundbreaking book series McGill-Queen’s Studies in the History of Religion. The series was founded by Father Jackman and by George Rawlyk, Professor of History at Queen’s University, in the late 1980s.
Since the unexpected passing of Professor Rawlyk in 1995, Professor Donald Akenson of the Queen’s University History Department has been at the helm. The book series now stretches to more than 100 volumes and represents the best work of Canadian and international scholars in the field of modern religious history.
Recently, McGill-Queen’s University Press (MQUP) hosted a lecture and reception to honour the History of Religion Series and to recognize the generous support of the Jackman Foundation. Queen’s senior leaders including Tom Harris, Sc’75, Vice-Principal (Advancement), Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) and Professor Rebecca Manley, Chair of the Department of History attended the event to pay tribute to Father Jackman.
“It was a privilege to take part in this celebration of McGill-Queen’s remarkable History of Religion series, and such an honor to meet Father Jackman”, says Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “The brilliant lecture delivered by Professor Richard English emphasized that we should always resist the temptation to reduce the complexity of the world to single causes, especially with respect to religious issues. This stresses the importance of thoughtful scholarly research in those fields as a crucial counterweight to demagogy and populism. McGill and Queen’s are proud of the work of MQUP in this area and wish to thank Father Jackman for his generous support.”
Richard English, Fellow of British Academy and the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Politics at Queen’s University of Belfast, traveled from Northern Ireland to pay tribute to Father Jackman. His research focuses on the history of terrorism with an emphasis on Ireland and Britain. Professor English’s lecture was entitled “God and Terror: An Unholy History."
Following the lecture, Professor Akenson presented Father Jackman with a framed letter from the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston. Joining Father Jackman for the event were his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Frederick and Sara Jackman.
“Father Jackman and the Jackman Foundation have been the backbone of the History of Religion series, and we are grateful for their continued support and guidance,” said Professor Akenson. "It's wonderful to have such talented authors inspire academic conversations through their contributions to the McGill-Queen’s University Series in the History of Religion.”
McGill-Queen’s University Press is a joint enterprise of two of Canada’s leading universities. It is a significant part of these institutions’ support for research and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. Over the years, MQUP has published more than 3,000 scholarly books, creating fresh interpretations of the world while maintaining the highest standards of scholarship and of quality book production.
