Chris Miller (PhD Religious Studies, University of Waterloo) is a sociologist of religion. His research explores how academic sub-fields develop and how marginal communities interact with research. His current projects examine death, dying, and nonreligion, through analyses of obituaries, Death Cafés, and green burials. In other research projects he explores broader themes including New Religious Movements, popular culture, and social media. His fellowship research project is titled Green Burial: Reimagined Approaches to Going ‘Underground’. Chris is our 2024-25 JHI-CDHI Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow.
What are your main research interests and what excites you most about them?
My research explores how people express and negotiate identity in new contexts. I have fairly eclectic research projects, however, that broadly fall into three different buckets. One of these concerns the development of academic sub-fields, and how scholars legitimize ideas through their work. Another ‘bucket’ is focused on contemporary Paganism, and especially how people within this alternative, emergent religion engage with social media. Finally, I have several projects that explore death and dying, and in particular, how ideas and practices around death are changing as a result of religious transformation in North America. I am always excited when I discover ways that these seemingly diverse research streams become interconnected.
What project are you working on at the JHI and why did you choose it?
I’m currently working on a project around green or natural burial. Many people are resisting conventional death practices; think embalming, tombstones, or even cremation. Instead, people want to be buried in a way that puts their body in closer contact with nature. There are a lot of reasons why green burial – and similar alternatives – are on the rise. In particular, I’m paying attention to the changing religious and spiritual ideas that people hold. For people who found solace in nature throughout their lives, becoming ‘food for the worms’ offers a sense of comfort, even in death.
How has your JHI Fellowship experience been so far?
Being a Fellow at the JHI has been a fantastic experience so far. As scholars in the humanities, we often find ourselves working in isolation on our own projects. I love that there are so many opportunities to connect, converse, and collaborate with people working across disciplines. Learning so much from everyone else has been a great part of this fellowship so far!
Why do you believe the humanities are important?
I believe the humanities are important because they give us a chance to pause and reflect on what it means to be a person living in the world. Though research in every field is constantly driving forward and making new discoveries, the humanities provide a useful reminder to critically interrogate how we make and evaluate knowledge. At the same time, the humanities give us the tools and space to appreciate all the things in the world that bring us joy and comfort.
Can you share something you read/watched/listened to recently that you enjoyed/were inspired by?
I’ve been slowly working my way through Stroll by Shawn Micallef. Every short chapter of this book takes the reader on a tour of a different Toronto neighbour, highlighting the history, landscape, architecture, and culture of all the neat little pockets of this city. As someone who loves wandering around Toronto (or any city), it’s a great way to have a guided tour of things we might otherwise walk by every day without thinking.
What is a fun fact about you?
I’m writing this in the winter, so it’s a little less relevant right now, but I love vegetable gardening. Every year brings new surprises with what plants thrive and which ones fail. But that’s part of the journey!