Kevin Buckelew

Kevin Buckelew is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University specializing in Chinese Buddhism, with particular expertise in Chan (Zen) traditions and Buddhist-Daoist interactions. He earned his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and his Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University.

• Affiliation: Northwestern University, Religious Studies Department
• Education: B.A. (Sarah Lawrence College), Ph.D. (Columbia University)

His research explores Chan Buddhist claims to authority equivalent to the historical Buddha, focusing on embodiment, gender, and institutional practices during the Song dynasty. He also investigates Buddhist-Daoist intellectual exchanges, particularly regarding theories of liberation and bodily practices.

Recent publications include Discerning Buddhas: Authority, Agency, and Masculinity in Chan Buddhism (2025) and co-edited volume Buddhist Masculinities (2023). His work appears in top journals like Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies and T’oung Pao, supported by Fulbright and Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai grants.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Fulbright Program Grant
  • Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Grant

Buckelew's scholarship combines textual analysis, historical methodology, and thematic explorations of moral responsibility and gender construction in premodern Chinese religious contexts.