David QuinterView profile
Associate Professor
David Quinter is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, holding a 50/50 joint appointment between the Department of East Asian Studies and the Program in Religious Studies. His primary research focuses on medieval Japanese Buddhism, particularly the Shingon Ritsu movement and its engagement with the Mañjuśrī cult. He examines intersections of narratives, rituals, and material culture in devotional practices, with special attention to outcasts and social welfare in Japanese religion. Teaching areas include East Asian religions, Japanese Buddhism, and methodological approaches to the study of religion. He has taught courses such as 'East Asian Religions,' 'Buddhism in Japanese History,' and 'Lived Religion in Asia.' Quinter's publications include the monograph From Outcasts to Emperors: Shingon Ritsu and the Mañjuśrī Cult in Medieval Japan (Brill, 2015) and numerous articles on topics like Eison's role in religious innovation, Manjusri iconography, and medieval Buddhist material culture. His work bridges textual analysis with material and ritual studies, emphasizing how religious practices shaped social and political dynamics in premodern Japan.