Ronald Green

Dr. Ronald Green is a Professor and Department Chair at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Coastal Carolina University. He specializes in Japanese Buddhism and Shinto traditions, examining their historical roots and modern expressions through movies, anime, novels, and lived religious practices. His scholarly work includes translating primary Buddhist texts, particularly focusing on Nara and Heian Buddhism, Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, and East Asian Yogacara.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2003)
  • M.A. in South Asian Religions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • M.A. in Japanese Literature from the University of Oregon
  • M.S. in Sociology from Virginia Tech

Dr. Green's teaching areas include Buddhism, Shinto, Asian Religions, Buddhist meditation traditions, and representations of religion in Japanese popular culture. His fieldwork includes repeated participations in the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan, culminating in a 2019–2020 ASIANetwork Freeman Foundation Student-Faculty Fellows Program grant with Dr. Susan Bergeron to develop the Virtual Shikoku platform, which integrates technology with religious studies.

As co-editor of the ASIANetwork Exchange, he contributes to academic discourse on Asian religions. His work emphasizes immersive scholarship, blending historical analysis with contemporary cultural interpretations, and he actively engages public audiences through lectures, webinars, and accessible writing. His book publications include Shintō in the History and Culture of Japan, Gyonen’s Transmission of the Buddha Dharma in Three Countries, and Buddhism Goes to the Movies.