Dr. Shamma Boyarin

Biography

Shamma Boyarin is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, where he has taught since 2008, initially in Religious Studies and Medieval Studies and then in the English Department starting in 2009. He earned his PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on Arabic, Hebrew, and English literature. Boyarin teaches Hebrew language courses and his current research interests lie in medieval literature, particularly focusing on literature from Spain and the Near East. His work also explores comparative literature, especially between Hebrew and Arabic texts, as well as literature and religion, Jewish Studies, and the religious roots of antisemitism. Boyarin’s additional expertise includes the connections between medieval and contemporary popular culture, particularly through the lens of Heavy Metal music and its relationship with white supremacist ideologies. He has organized and co-organized conferences on Metal Studies at UVic, contributing to the academic discourse surrounding these intersections.

Research Interests