Lionel M. Jensen

Lionel M. Jensen serves as Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Notre Dame and has been a Kellogg Institute faculty fellow since 2001. He concurrently holds the position of Concurrent Associate Professor of History at the university.

Professor Jensen's research spans multiple eras of Chinese intellectual history, with primary focus on Confucianism. His scholarly interests encompass Chinese religion and thought, contemporary economy and politics, human rights issues, folklore studies, early Sino-western contact, popular cults, comparative mythology, and nationalism. He has taught courses in Chinese history, religion, philosophy, politics, and society at Notre Dame, the University of Colorado, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Jensen has received recognition for his teaching excellence, including the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2010. His current research projects include 'Fictions and Fractures of Time and Place,' which critically investigates the mythic qualities of historical 'fact' in China; 'Webs of Rope,' examining political freedom within cyber communities; and a manuscript exploring the convergence of natural science, native religious traditions, and nationalism in the work of political reformer Tan Sitong (1866–1898).

His notable publications include Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese Traditions & Universal Civilization (Duke University Press, 1997), China Off Center: Mapping the Margins of the Middle Kingdom (University of Hawai'i Press, 2002, coedited), and China's Transformations: The Stories beyond the Headlines (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007, coedited). He is currently completing Enchanting Texts: The Mythistories of Confucianism.

• Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2010)

Professor Jensen frequently engages with contemporary China issues through media appearances and academic presentations, including his 2015 seminar 'China's Soft Power Offensive: The Confucius Institute Phenomenon' and participation in events like the 2019 Flash Panel on Hong Kong in Crisis. His expertise on Confucius Institutes has been cited in major media outlets including The Guardian.