User:3rdspace/Ann Gleig

Ann Gleig
Occupation	Professor
Awards	American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (2021)
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Bristol (BA) University of Lancaster (MA) Rice University (MA, PhD)
Thesis	Enlightenment After the Enlightenment: American Transformations of Asian Contemplative Traditions (2011)
Doctoral advisor	Jeffrey J. Kripal
Academic work
Discipline	Religious Studies
Sub-discipline	American Buddhism, Contemplative Studies, Gender and Sexuality in Religion
Institutions	University of Central Florida
Notable works	American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity
Website	philosophy.cah.ucf.edu/people/gleig-ann/

Ann Gleig is an American scholar of religion. She is a Professor of Religion and Cultural Studies at the University of Central Florida and an editor at the Journal of Global Buddhism. Her award-winning book, American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity (Yale University Press, 2019), examines cultural evolution in American Buddhism.

Early life and education

Gleig received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Bristol, UK, in 1995. She earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Lancaster, UK, in 2001.

She continued her graduate studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she obtained a Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 2006 and a PhD in Religious Studies in 2009. Her doctoral dissertation was titled "Enlightenment After the Enlightenment: American Transformations of Asian Contemplative Traditions".

Career

Gleig joined the faculty at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2009, in the Department of Philosophy's Religion and Cultural Studies program. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2015, and to Professor in 2023.

At UCF, Gleig teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on topics including Asian religions, Buddhism in America, religion and psychoanalysis, and theory and method in the study of religion.

She has been involved in several collaborative research projects. From 2016-2019, she was a co-Primary Investigator for "Understanding and Addressing Sexual Abuse in American Buddhist Communities," a project funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. She is also working on a critical history of the popularization of mindfulness meditation.

Gleig's academic career includes extensive involvement in professional organizations. She has served as Program Director on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the principal scholarly society for the study of religion. She has also served on the steering committees of multiple AAR units, including Buddhism, Buddhism in the West, Religion and Sexuality, and Mysticism. She is also an editor for the Journal of Global Buddhism.

Research

Gleig's research primarily examines the evolution and diversification of Buddhism in North America. She employs ethnographic and historical methods to explore themes such as the secularization of mindfulness, the integration of social justice movements within Buddhist practice, and the impact of generational shifts on religious traditions. Her work often challenges dominant narratives in Buddhist studies by centering marginalized identities and histories.

A key area of her research is the intersection of contemplative practice, gender, and sexuality. She has explored how contemporary Buddhist communities grapple with issues of sexual misconduct and power dynamics. She is part of the leadership team for the "Religion and Sexual Abuse Project," funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, and is co-writing a book with Amy Langenberg on sexual abuse in American Buddhist communities, under contract with Yale University Press.

Publications

American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity

Gleig's most significant work to date is American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity (Yale University Press, 2019). The book provides a critical analysis of post-baby boomer convert Buddhist sanghas (communities) in North America. Gleig argues that these newer generations, sometimes termed "Gen X" or "Millennial" Buddhists, are forging distinct forms of Buddhism that move beyond earlier "Buddhist modernist" frameworks.

The book explores how these contemporary communities emphasize diversity and inclusion, engage critically with power dynamics, integrate trauma-informed approaches, and prioritize social and ecological engagement. It examines a range of figures and communities, highlighting a shift towards forms of Buddhism that are often more decentralized, democratized, and critical of traditional hierarchies.

American Dharma received critical acclaim, including the American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Constructive-Reflective Studies category in 2021. It has been reviewed in academic journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, American Historical Review, and the Journal of Buddhist Ethics.

Books

• American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity. Yale University Press, 2019. ISBN 978-0300215809.
• [Forthcoming Book on Sexual Abuse in Buddhism]. Co-authored with Amy Langenberg. Yale University Press, (forthcoming 2026)."Ann Gleig – AAR". aarweb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-19.

Co-edited Volumes

• The Oxford Handbook of American Buddhism. Co-edited with Scott A. Mitchell. Oxford University Press, 2024. ISBN 978-0197539033.
• Homegrown Gurus: From Hinduism in America to American Hinduism. Co-edited with Lola Williamson. State University of New York Press, 2013. ISBN 978-1438447933.

Selected Articles and Chapters

• "Embodying Nonduality: Depth Psychology in American Mysticism". In Depth Psychology and Mysticism, edited by Thomas Cattoi & David M. Odorisio. Springer Verlag, 2018. pp. 107-126.
• "From Theravada to Tantra: The Making of an American Tantric Buddhism?". Contemporary Buddhism, 14 (2), 221-238, 2013.
• "Religion and Sexual Abuse: A Critical-Constructive Engagement." (Forthcoming, with Amy Langenberg).

Gleig has also published in journals such as the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and co-developed "Teaching Resources for Buddhism, Race and Racism" for the University of Toronto.

Awards and Honors

• University Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of Central Florida (2017).
• Distinguished Alumna Award, Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Rice University (2019).

See also

• American Buddhism
• Religious Studies

External links

• Ann Gleig at University of Central Florida
• Ann Gleig on Religion and Sexual Abuse Project