معرفی
Bryan Lowe is Associate Professor of Religion at Princeton University, where he joined the Department of Religion in 2019. He previously taught at Vanderbilt University from 2012-2019. As Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Religion, he plays a significant role in shaping the academic experience for students. His work bridges religious studies, history, and manuscript culture, with a particular focus on non-elite religious practices in ancient Japan.
Lowe received his academic training at prestigious institutions:
- Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University (2012)
- M.A. in Religion from Princeton University (2009)
- B.A. in Religion (Honors) and Japanese (High Honors) from Middlebury College (2003)
Lowe specializes in Buddhism in ancient Japan (seventh through ninth centuries), with broader research interests in ritual, manuscript studies, historiography, canons, and the religion of non-elites. His work challenges elite-centered narratives that have dominated scholarship on Japanese Buddhism, instead studying Buddhism as it was lived and practiced by individuals from diverse backgrounds. He employs interdisciplinary approaches, engaging with history, art history, literature, political science, and book history to explore ritual studies, material culture, and religion and the state. His research reveals how religious practices functioned beyond state ideology and served diverse social, political, and spiritual purposes.
His publications reveal consistent engagement with manuscript culture, religious networks, and the social dimensions of early Japanese Buddhism. A recurring theme is the examination of how Buddhist texts and practices moved through society, connecting different social classes and regions. Lowe's work demonstrates how sutra transcription, temple networks, and religious mobility created spaces for religious innovation and community formation outside elite court circles. His research shows how religious practices were shaped by practical needs and local contexts rather than simply reflecting state ideology.
Lowe has received significant recognition for his scholarly contributions:
- John Whitney Hall Book Prize from the Association of Asian Studies for "Ritualized Writing: Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan"
- Stanley Weinstein Prize for best Ph.D. dissertation on East Asian Buddhism
His research has been generously supported by major funding organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright IIE, ACLS/Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, and Japan Foundation. Lowe has also served as a research fellow at Otani University in Kyoto (2010-2011). He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Japanese religions, mythology, Zen, Buddhism and literature, and theory and method. In addition to his book publications and scholarly articles, he co-edits an online "Guide to Shōsōin Research," contributing to the accessibility of important historical materials.
