Stephen C. Berkwitz

Dr. Stephen C. Berkwitz is a Professor and Department Head of Religious Studies at Missouri State University, affiliated with the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. A leading scholar in South Asian religions, he has published extensively on Buddhism, Theravāda traditions, and religion-colonialism intersections since 1999.

• Education: PhD (1999), MA (1994) in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara; BA (1991) in Religion from University of Vermont.

His research focuses on Sinhala and Pali literature, Buddhist kingship, and post-colonial religious identity. Recent publications analyze Buddhist relic veneration, colonial-era texts, and interfaith dynamics. He co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Theravāda Buddhism (2022) and translated the Sinhala Thupavamsa.

Scientific Awards:

• Fulbright Senior Scholar Award (2005)
• Luso-American Foundation Scholarship (2009)
• Multiple Ruhr-Universität Bochum fellowships (2011, 2017)
• Wabash Center grants for religious pedagogy (2010, 2015-2017)
• University Teaching Award (2004)

As series editor for Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism and editorial board member of three journals, Berkwitz actively shapes global Buddhist scholarship. He has conducted fieldwork in Sri Lanka, Germany, and Portugal, with expertise in South Asian manuscript cultures and Buddhist nationalism.