Gareth Fisher Assistant Professor Office: 513 Hall of Languages Phone: 315-443-5914 gfisher@syr.edu

Professor Fisher joined the faculty in August, 2008. His work focuses on the revival of lay Buddhism in contemporary mainland China particularly in Beijing, where he recently completed two years of ethnographic research at the Temple of Universal Rescue (Guangji Si). Dr. Fisher is currently examining how new converts become attracted to Buddhist teachings following years of state repression and in an environment of rapid cultural change through globalization. He is also researching how discursive communities of lay Buddhists are emerging around the writing and discussion of popular religious literature in new and reviving temples throughout China.

Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Virginia (2006)
M.A., Religion, Columbia University (1995)
B.A., Religious Studies, Grinnell College (1994)

• Assistant Professor, Department of Religion, Syracuse University,
  2008-present.
  
• Visiting Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Richmond, 2007-08.
• Postdoctoral Associate, Council on East Asian Studies, Yale University, 2006-07.
• Instructor, Department of Anthropology, University of Virginia, 2005.

Publications:

• "The Spiritual Land Rush: Merit and Morality in New Chinese Buddhist Temple Construction." The Journal of Asian Studies (67:1, 2008).
• "Resistance and Salvation in Falun Gong: the Promise and Peril of Forbearance." Nova Religio (6:2, 2003).

Recent Presentations:

• "Temples, Texts, and Textual Communities: the Emergence of Lay Buddhist Networks in Contemporary Mainland China." Triangle East Asia Colloquium on Buddhist Practice in Contemporary East Asia, Duke University. September 20, 2008.
• "Wandering Souls in Chaotic Courtyards: Toward a Person-Centered Approach to the Study of Chinese Buddhism." Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, April 6, 2008.
• "Inhabiting Flexible Worlds: Chinese Buddhist Responses to Globalization." American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, December 1, 2007.
• "The Buddhist Revival in Mainland China: Religious Responses to Cultural Change." Institute of Ethnology, Academica Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. July 7, 2007.
• "Buddhism as Social Critique." Annual Meeting of the World History Association, Milwaukee, WI. June 30, 2007.