Gregory Hillis

Gregory Hillis serves as a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and specializes in Tibetan and Sanskrit studies, teaching courses ranging from introductory language instruction to advanced topics in Buddhism and religious traditions.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D., University of Virginia

Hillis's research focuses on Tibetan Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma tradition, with emphasis on meditation practices, oracular systems, monastic structures, and sacred textual traditions. His work explores intersections between philosophical concepts like emptiness and embodied religious practices, especially in divination contexts.

His publication trajectory reveals sustained engagement with Tibetan religious life, evolving from foundational encyclopedia contributions (2000-2005) on figures like Klong chen pa and meditation systems to recent collaborative ethnographic work (2014) analyzing Tibetan oracles and the body's role as sacred space. This progression demonstrates deepening methodological sophistication while maintaining core focus on Tibetan Buddhist lived religion.