James Pierce

James Pierce is a Visiting Professor of Religion at Middlebury College, with prior roles as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Mary Washington (2011-13) and an Instructor at the University of Virginia (2012). His work centers on South Asian religious traditions, particularly the intersection of gender, Tantric practices, and Sanskrit poetics in medieval texts. Pierce holds a Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Virginia (2015), an M.A. from the same institution, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from the University of Mary Washington. His research emphasizes narrative expressions of the feminine divine in texts like the Devīpurāṇa, blending textual analysis with cultural and environmental ethos.

His research interests include Puranic literature, Shakta Tantra, Sanskrit aesthetics, and the role of gender in South Asian religious frameworks. Pierce has contributed peer-reviewed reviews to Religion and presented at conferences such as the South and Central Asia Fulbright Conference and Harvard Divinity School’s graduate conference on religion. His work bridges theological, historical, and ecological dimensions, particularly in analyzing how texts reframe orthodox narratives to elevate feminine divinity.

• Awards: Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellowship, Buckner W. Clay Endowment Grant.
• Grants/Fellowships: Critical Language Scholarship (Bengali), AIIS Language Fellowship (Hindi), SASLI FLAS Fellowship (Hindi).

Pierce is affiliated with Middlebury’s Religion Department, focusing on teaching Hindu traditions, Tantric studies, and ethical dimensions of South Asian religions. His research often involves interdisciplinary approaches, combining textual analysis with fieldwork in India.