D. Max Moerman

D. Max Moerman is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, Columbia University. He holds an A.B. from Columbia College (1986) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1999). His research focuses on East Asian Buddhism, particularly the visual and material culture of Japanese religions. His current book project, Geographies of the Imagination: Buddhism and the Japanese World Map, explores intersections between religious thought and cartographic representation. He serves as Co-Chair of Columbia’s Buddhist Studies Seminar and Associate Director of the Columbia Center for Buddhism and Asian Religions.

Key research interests include sacred texts like the Lotus Sutra, medieval religious practices, and pilgrimage traditions. His work integrates textual analysis with material culture studies, addressing themes of defilement, sacred geography, and iconography.

Teaching responsibilities include courses such as Colloquium on Major Texts: East Asia and The Lotus Sutra. He actively contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on Japanese religious history through his academic leadership roles and publications in journals like the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies.