Hugh Urban

Hugh Urban is a Professor of Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University, serving as Department Chair and a Distinguished Scholar in Religious Studies and South Asian Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago, with additional degrees from George Washington University and the Antioch University Buddhist Studies Program. His research focuses on secrecy in religion, South Asian traditions, new religious movements, and the intersection of religion with politics and modernity.

Urban's expertise spans Tantra studies, contemporary religious movements (e.g., Scientology, Heaven's Gate), and the cultural politics of secrecy. He has authored over 20 books and numerous articles, including seminal works like The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion (2011) and Secrecy: Silence, Power, and Religion (2021). His work bridges academic rigor with accessible scholarship, examining topics like digital religion, tantric symbolism, and the global impact of new religious movements.

Urban's contributions to the field include groundbreaking analyses of religious secrecy in both historical and contemporary contexts, from colonial Bengal to modern cyber spaces. He has held grants and fellowships supporting his research, and his teaching emphasizes critical engagement with religious diversity and esoteric traditions. Active in academic discourse, he frequently contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on religion, politics, and globalization.