PhD (McMaster)
MA (McMaster)
BA Honours (Queen's)
Research
- Terrorism,
- Radicalization,
- Religion and Violent Extremism
Contributions
Dr. Dawson is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Religious Studies and Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo. He served as the Chair of both disciplines. He has published three books, five edited books, and 90 academic articles and book chapters. Until 2008 most of his research was in the sociology of religion, in particular the study of new religious movements. Since then, the primary research focus has been terrorism, in particular the process of radicalization leading to violence. He co-founded and co-directed the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS, 2012-2023), operating with funds competitively awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Public Safety Canada, and Defence Research and Development Canada. Over his career, Dr. Dawson made numerous invited presentations to a wide variety of government, academic, and public groups and was interviewed by the media frequently. He has been involved in the supervision of over thirty PhD students.
Selected publications
Books:
Jeremy Littlewood, Lorne L. Dawson, Sara Thompson, eds., Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (2020).
Paul Bramadat and Lorne L. Dawson, eds., Religious Radicalization and Securitization in Canada and Beyond. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (2014).
Lorne L. Dawson and Joel Thiessen, The Sociology of Religion: A Canadian Perspective. Toronto: Oxford University Press (2014).
Lorne L. Dawson, Comprehending Cults: The Sociology of New Religious Movements. Second Edition. Toronto: Oxford University Press (2006).
Lorne L. Dawson and Douglas E. Cowan, eds., Religion Online: Finding Faith on the Internet. New York: Routledge (2004).