This is a searchable database of research areas of Buddhist Studies and religious studies scholars based in Canada and internationally for academic and liaison purposes.
If you wish to have your information included in the database, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/86sh5uxUqA2KYpJc7 (Please note that the link will require you to sign in to a Gmail account to access the form)
| Name | Affiliation | Research areas | Personal page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam, Martin | University of Victoria | History of Buddhism; Indian Philosophy and Religions; Philosophy of Religion; Socially Engaged Buddhism; Early Buddhist Ethics; Buddhist Meditation Theory; Free will and personhood in Indian Buddhism | https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/pacificasia/people/faculty/adam-martin.php |
| Adamek, Wendi | University of Calgary | Her research interests include medieval Chinese Buddhism, Buddhist archeology, and living systems theory | http://clare.ucalgary.ca/profiles/1-4669782 |
| Ama, Michihiro | University of Montana | The Transpacific Development of Japanese Buddhism, Buddhism in Japanese Literature and Film, Buddhism and Japanese Language, Buddhism and Law, Buddhism and Gender, and Buddhism and Ethnicity | https://hs.umt.edu/wlc/japanese/faculty.php?s=Ama5071 |
| Andrews, Susan | Mount Allison University | A scholar of narrative, her research explores how the telling and retelling of stories matters for individuals and communities. Much of her published work pursues this topic in the context of the earliest traditions associated with Mount Wutai in China and, later, Japan. This past year, for instance, she published “Women in the early literature of China’s Mount Wutai” and The Transnational Cult of Mount Wutai (co-edited with Jinhua Chen and Kuan Guang). Dr. Andrews is a co-investigator and research cluster leader for the SSHRC Partnership Grant-funded From the Ground Up: Buddhism and East Asian Religions project (Frogbear.org) | https://mta.ca/directory/susie-andrews |
| Benn, A. James | McMaster University | My research is aimed at understanding the practices and world views of medieval men and women, both religious and lay, through the close reading of primary sources in literary Chinese—the lingua franca of East Asian religions. I have concentrated on three major areas of research: bodily practice in Chinese Religions; the ways in which people create and transmit new religious practices and doctrines; and the religious dimensions of commodity culture. In particular I have worked on self-immolation, Chinese Buddhist apocrypha, and the religious and cultural history of tea. | https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/people/a-benn-james |
| Berman, P. Michael | Brock University | Continental, Asian and Comparative philosophy, Phenomenology, Merleau-Ponty and Nagarjuna | https://brocku.ca/humanities/philosophy/faculty-and-staff/michael-berman/ |
| Boisvert, Mathieu | Université du Québec à Monréal | Asie du sud, Inde, Sri Lanka, Bhoutan, Népal, Myanmar (Birmanie), Thaïlande, Hindouisme, Bouddhisme, Sikhisme, Religion, Politique, Pèlerinage, Ethnicité, groupe ethnique, minorité, transgenres | https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/boisvert.mathieu/ |
| Bond, Kevin | University of Regina | Early Modern Religion in Japan: The Cult of Fudō Myōō, Popular Religion and Theatre, Humour and Parody | https://www.uregina.ca/arts/grc-studies/faculty-staff/faculty/1-bond-kevin.html |
| Chan, Wing-cheuk | Brock University | Chinese Philosophy, Yogacara Buddhism, Phenomenology, Habermas, Comparative Philosophy | https://brocku.ca/humanities/philosophy/faculty-and-staff/ |
| Chen, Jinhua | University of British Columbia | My publications have developed primarily out of my research emphasising trans-regional narratives in the history and contemporary practice of East Asian Buddhism. Other themes that have sustained my attention include the exploration of Buddhist transmission narratives across Asia, East Asian church-state relationships, Buddhist monasticism, monastic (hagio-)biographical literature, Buddhist sacred sites, relic veneration, technological innovations within the Buddhist tradition, Buddhist translations, and manuscript cultures. I employ a wide variety of primary sources in my research, including, but not limited to, canonical and extra-canonical texts and epigraphy. I have always endeavored to traverse the boundaries between regional and sectarian forms of East Asian religions, and have tried to adopt a pan-East Asian approach to understanding the various Buddhist traditions. Although much of my work has focused upon China, I have also produced a considerable body of scholarship on Japanese Buddhism. My PhD dissertation, for example, which was subsequently published as Legend and Legitimation (2009), concerns a major Esoteric Buddhist tradition in Japan. Another book, Crossfire: Shingon-Tendai Strife (2010), deals with Japanese Buddhism, primarily by investigating twelfth-century sectarian debates. I have also worked to extend my research to include Korea. My 2007 Philosopher, Practitioner, Politician, for instance, uses sources preserved only in Korea to reconstruct the life of an important Buddhist leader in seventh and eighth century China. I have also annotated and translated into English the complete works of a ninth-century Korean author, Choe Chiwon (857-10th c.), whose writings highlight a considerable degree of interaction between medieval Korea and China. | https://asia.ubc.ca/persons/jinhua-chen/ |
| Clarke, Shayne | McMaster University | My research interests focus on Indian Buddhist monasticism, with particular reference to Buddhist monastic law codes (vinaya) preserved in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese. I am primarily concerned with trying to understand what it meant to be a Buddhist monk/nun in India. To that end, my monograph, Family Matters in Indian Buddhist Monasticisms, uses epigraphical and literary sources (Sanskrit drama, etc.) in addition to canonical Buddhist law codes to reconsider the role of the family in monastic Buddhism: relationships between monks and nuns, their families, children, marriages, and celibacy. I am currently conducting a survey of Tibetan Dunhuang manuscripts preserved in the Stein and Pelliot collections. In particular, I am interested in correctly identifying the vinaya manuscripts, with the goal of making the collections more usable to vinaya specialists. I am also working on an edition of the Vinayakarika on the basis of its extant Sanskrit (unpublished mss.), Tibetan, and Chinese versions. | https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/people/clarke-shayne |
| Clayton, Barbra | Mount Allison University | Buddhist ethics, Indian Mahayana Buddhism, environmental ethics, contemporary Buddhism | https://mta.ca/directory/barb-clayton |
| Crowe, Paul | Simon Fraser University | Religions of China with a particular focus on Daoist alchemy practices during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Several works have been published on Buddhist institutions in Canada and have included work on their evolution through the broader historical context of Chinese migration and Chinese Canadian history. | https://sfu.academia.edu/PaulCrowe |
| Drewes, David | University of Manitoba | His research focuses primarily on early Mahāyāna, early Buddhism, and the history of scholarship on Buddhism. His publications aim to present transformative visions of its history, worldview, and praxis. He teaches a range of classes on Buddhism, and sometimes also classes in Sanskrit and Tibetan. | https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/departments/religion/staff/3987.html |
| Garrett, Frances | University of Toronto | I am an Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies and Tibetan Studies in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto, where I’ve taught since 2003. From 2016-2021, I was Inaugural Director of the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto. Before that, I was the Associate Chair of the Department for the Study of Religion (2010-2017). I am currently Director of the Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health program at New College, University of Toronto. In my research I’ve collaborated with students, scholars, and community experts to explore the intersections between tantric practice, ritual/occult knowledge, and medical history and theory in Tibet. I’ve also worked with Tibetan scholars and students in Amdo to study the Tibetan King Gesar epic, and most recently have been working with communities in Sikkim around Mt Khangchendzonga. In partnership with students, I’ve also published on experiential learning, outdoor education, and methods for student flourishing. | https://francesgarrett.info/ |
| Geary, David | University of British Columbia | Buddhism, South Asia, geopolitics of heritage, space and place, pilgrimage, diaspora, transnational religious movements and networks, mobilities and critical tourism theory | http://ccgs.ok.ubc.ca/faculty/geary.html |
| Harding, John | University of Lethbridge | Buddhism in Meiji Japan, Buddhism in Canada, Global development of modern Buddhism in the past century and a half | http://directory.uleth.ca/users/john.harding |
| Haynes, Sarah | Western Illinois University | Tibetan Buddhism, Ritual Studies, Buddhism in North America, Indian Religions | http://www.wiu.edu/cas/liberal_arts_and_sciences/minors/religious-studies/faculty/haynes.php |
| Ho, Jacqueline | Mount Royal University | I like to examine religious topics from a multi-disciplinary approach, including the experiences of Asian Buddhist diasporas and new religious movements. My MA research focused on Humanistic Buddhism as practiced by the Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief, Fu Yan Buddhist College, and Dharma Drum Mountain. My doctoral research examines the conversion experiences and community outreach practices of the Calgary Pai Yuin Temple, a branch of the True Buddha School. In my research, I proposed a list of outreach strategies for fostering a multi-ethnic congregation. Other areas of interest include the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Churches of Canada, Vajrayana Buddhist rituals and meditation, religious attendance in Canada, and the local outreach practices of Buddhist temples in Calgary. | https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Arts/Departments/Humanities/Faculty/JacquelineHo.htm |
| Hori, Victor Sōgen | McGill University (Retired) | Ch’an/Zen Buddhism, Japanese Religion, Kyoto School Philosophy, Asian ethics | https://www.mcgill.ca/religiousstudies/people/former-faculty-members/victor-sogen-hori |
| Keyworth, George | University of Sakaschewan | Medieval China, Medieval Japan, Religion in China, Religion in Japan, Medieval Manuscripts in China and Japan, Buddhism, Daoism, Shinto | http://artsandscience.usask.ca/profile/GKeyworth#/research |
| Lai, Rongdao | McGill University | Modern Chinese Buddhism, Buddhism and the state, Buddhist education, transnational religious networks, religion and social activism in Asia | https://www.mcgill.ca/religiousstudies/rongdao-lai |
| Laliberté, André | University of Ottawa | The rights of domestic caregivers in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: the political, social, cultural, and demographic constraints to the exercise of these rights; Legal pluralism in the sinicized cultural area: a comparative historical sociology of a variety of paths to secularism in the perspective of multiple modernities; Religions and Welfare Regimes in East Asia: relations between governments and organized religions in health policy, education, poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and public morality; Geopolitics of Buddhism: international organizations and transnational movements, engaged Buddhism, Buddhism and nation; Issues of religious diversity in East Asian democracies: legal recognition, religious parties and movements | https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members/798 |
| Litalien, Manuel | Nipissing University | Cultural politics, religious diversity in Southeast Asia, geopolitics of Buddhism, health, education, the elderly, families, violence, poverty alleviation, social inequalities, disaster relief, moral economy | http://www.nipissingu.ca/about-us/people/Pages/Dr-Manuel-Litalien.aspx |
| Main, Jessica | University of British Columbia | Buddhism, Ethics, and Human Rights; Modern Buddhist Institutions, Law, and Governance; Buddhists and Buddhist Institutions Active in Modern Society: Social Welfare, Healthcare and Healing, Rehabilitation, Incarceration and Corrections; Modern Japanese Religions and Society; Japanese True Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo Shinshū) | http://buddhism.arts.ubc.ca/program/chair-and-visiting-scholars/jessica-main/ |
| Marc des Jardins, J.F. | Concordia University | Tibetan Bön, (its history, practices, beliefs, scriptures and religious lineages), Tibetan Religions and Society, Chinese Daoism and popular cults along the Sino-Tibetan frontiers, Western China history, societies and religious minorities | https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/marc-des-jardins.html |
| Matthews, Bruce | Acadia University (Retired) | Buddhism and politics in South and Southeast Asia, particularly in Sri Lanka and Burma (Myanmar) | http://religion.acadiau.ca/Matthews/homepage.htm |
| Negru, H. John | Sumeru Books | Buddhist publishing, community development, Green Buddhism | https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-negru-b14a9713/ |
| Nichols, Brian | Mount Royal University | Brian’s research examines the responses of Buddhist monks to changing conditions in twentieth and twenty-first century China; aspects he investigates include the establishment of charitable enterprises, the development of transnational networks, and the role of material culture and the state in contemporary religious tourism. Brian has conducted research in China from 2005 to 2012 supported in part by a Fulbright fellowship and a grant from the Asian Cultural Council. | http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Arts/Departments/Humanities/Faculty/BrianNichols.htm |
| Overmyer, Daniel | University of British Columbia (Retired) | Chinese popular thought, religion and culture. Popular religious sects of the late traditional and modern periods and their texts, and local rituals and beliefs practiced in villages. There are three larger intellectual concerns in my research: 1. To come to a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture through approaching it from the popular level. 2. To understand the historical development of Chinese religions, their interactions, beliefs and practices. 3. To discuss Chinese religious phenomena in the context of world religious history. | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v-PtiaZNTwdMI4YqR2ytEoPUEkXLChas/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101572353378322739127&rtpof=true&sd=true |
| Placzek, Jim | Honorary Research Associate, Center for Southeast Asia Research, Institute of Asian Research, UBC, Vancouver | ASEAN studies, Thai language, Southeast Asian culture history, Theravada Buddhism | N/A |
| Quinter, David | University of Alberta | My area of research specialization is East Asian religions, with a focus on medieval Japanese Buddhism. In broad terms, my research examines the interweaving of narratives, rituals, and images in devotional cults and the life portraits of charismatic and other practitioners. Particular interests center on the Shingon Ritsu movement (also known as the Saidaiji order) founded by Eison (1201-90) and Ninshō (1217-1303); medieval Nara Buddhism more broadly; the Manjusri cult in China and Japan; Buddhist devotional cults across Asia; and outcasts (hinin), discrimination, and social welfare in Japanese religion. An emerging area of research interest for me is the study of “lived religion” in Asia and the West in both methodological and empirical terms. | https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/quinter |
| Ren, Yuan | University of Regina (Retired) | Chinese and Indian Buddhism, Religious Syncretism in Asia, Texts in Asian Religions | https://www.uregina.ca/arts/grc-studies/faculty-staff/faculty/ren-yuan.html |
| Shiu, Henry | Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto | His research has focussed on the doctrinal and historical studies of Mahayana Buddhism in India, China, and Tibet, particularly on the tathagatagarbha theory. He also has a research interest in Buddhism in Canada, Buddhist pastoral care, and various forms of Socially Engaged Buddhism in the contemporary world. | https://emmanuel.utoronto.ca/news/henry-shiu-named-shi-wu-de-professor-in-chinese-buddhist-studies/ |
| Soucy, Alexander | Saint Mary’s University | Anthropology of Religion; Vietnamese Buddhism; Buddhism in Canada; Gender and Religion; Buddhism and globalization; re-enchantment | https://www.smu.ca/academics/departments/DrAlexanderSoucyprofile.html |
| Sumegi, Angela | Carleton University (Retired) | The interface between Buddhism and shamanism, Religious Responses to Death | http://carleton.ca/religion/people/angela-sumegi/ |
| Turner, Alicia | York University | Religion, Asian/Pacific Studies, Buddhism, Religions of Southeast Asia, Religion and Colonialism/Empire, Religion and Nationalism, Burmese History, Gender and Religion, European Buddhist Converts in Asia, Theory and Method in the Study of Religion, Religious Studies | https://profiles.laps.yorku.ca/profiles/turnera/ |
| Wilson, Jeff | Renison University College, University of Waterloo | Japanese Religion, Buddhism, Buddhism in North America, Liberal Religion in North America | https://uwaterloo.ca/religious-studies/about/people/jewilson |