Markus Rüsch

Markus Rüsch is Junior Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Münster, specifically within the Evangelical-Theological Faculty and the Department of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology. Since February 2024, he has held a W1 professorship with a tenure track to W2, focusing on Japanese Buddhism, particularly the Jōdo Shinshū and Tendai traditions.

Education:

• Doctorate (Dr. phil.) in Japanese Studies, Free University of Berlin (2013–2018)
• Master’s in Japanese Studies, Free University of Berlin (2011–2013)
• Bachelor’s in East Asian Studies – Japanese Studies, Free University of Berlin (2008–2011)

Research Focus: His work spans systematic religious studies, religious aesthetics (especially of sacred space), religious philology, Buddhist hagiography, environmental ethics, and Japanese Buddhism. He has conducted extensive research in Japan, including at Kyoto University, Otani University, Kyoto Women’s University, and Ryukoku University.

Publications & Articles: His research output includes monographs such as Argumente des Heiligen (2019) and numerous peer-reviewed articles on Shinran, Pure Land Buddhism, ritual spaces, and interreligious dialogue. His work often bridges classical Buddhist texts with contemporary ethical and aesthetic questions.

Scientific Contributions: He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of World Buddhist Cultures and is a member of several academic societies, including the European Academy of Religion, the German Association for the Study of Religion, and the Japan Association of Religion and Ethics.

Teaching & Supervision: He teaches seminars on Buddhist sacred architecture, environmental ethics, and hagiography. He has supervised doctoral students, including Tobias E. Gronbach.

Projects & Collaboration: He has led multiple research projects in Japan, including studies on Amida worship in Kyūshū, Buddhist responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social ethics of altruism in Japanese Buddhism.