In late November at the American Anthropological Association’s (AAA) annual meeting in New Orleans, Professor Amira Mittermaier officially took up her role as President of the Society for the Anthropology of Religion (SAR). Mittermaier joined the Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) in 2007 and is now a full professor whose work is situated between anthropology and the study of religion. Grounded in research in Egypt over the last two decades, her work focuses on the anthropology of Islam, with specific interests in the unseen, religious imaginations, and God imaginaries. Her first book, Dreams that Matter: Egyptian Landscapes of the Imagination (University of California Press, 2011) was awarded the SAR’s Clifford Geertz Prize, and she is a past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Currently the DSR’s Associate Chair Undergraduate, effective July 1, 2026, Mittermaier assumes her appointment as Director of U of T’s Institute of Islamic Studies, a position she will hold until June 30, 2032.
Former SAR president and fellow DSR faculty member Simon Coleman notes that “becoming president of the SAR is an important mark of recognition from one’s peers. Although the SAR is located within an American organization, it is actually made up of scholars from around the world. Amira is therefore becoming an important spokesperson for our sub-field, and will have the opportunity to host the Society’s conference in Toronto in 2027.”
A member of the AAA since her student days, winner of the Geertz Prize in 2011, and SAR keynote speaker delivering the Rappaport lecture in 2021, Mittermaier has come to appreciate the relatively small size of the SAR community and the opportunity that affords for interaction between all the members at the meetings. “I really like the sense of community,” she says, “and it’s great to meet the grad students and the younger scholars.”
DSR Chair Pamela Klassen, who has also attended SAR conferences, commented on Amira’s leadership: “Amira’s dedication to the anthropology of religion as a site of critical inquiry that builds community is widely respected. An internationally-recognized scholar who is also committed to teaching undergraduate and graduate students ethical skills for ethnographic research, Amira will bring her signature style of collaborative leadership to her new role in the SAR. The DSR looks forward to working with her to host the SAR conference here at U of T!”
A key element of the organization for Mittermaier is the mentorship structure and this is an area that she will be focusing on during her tenure, with graduate students pairing with junior and senior faculty; she envisions the possibility of forming small groups around shared interests.
“Networking for students is so important, helping people find their way in academia. Supporting students coming to the end of their programs is crucial. Giving back is significant and meaningful.” While mentoring and supervising students at one’s own institution is part of a professor’s role, she is excited at the possibilities created by the introduction of a cross-institutional element.
The challenges posed by political factors are also top of mind. “The anthropology of religion in particular has something really important to say in this moment where we see the widespread instrumentalization of religion in public and political discourse. As an anthropologist of religion, I feel called upon to open up a space where people can think through what we have to contribute and how we can face this moment.”
Given the current political climate and travel restrictions in the United States, Mittermaier reports that SAR members are excited about having its next meeting in Canada: “The general consensus is that it’s still extremely significant to come together in person.”
