Robert A. Segal

Robert Alan Segal (July 1948 – January 2024) was an American scholar of religion noted for comparative approaches to myth theory and the study of myth across traditions. He held academic posts in the United Kingdom, including appointments at Lancaster University (1994–2006) and the University of Aberdeen (2006–2024), where he served as Professor and Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies. From 2019 until his death, he was also a Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Vienna. Segal wrote Myth: A Very Short Introduction and Theorizing about Myth and edited The Myth and Ritual Theory and The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. His publications survey and assess major theories of myth within the humanities and social sciences.