Russell Kirkland柯克兰

Style & Daoist names

Russell Kirkland

Period

Contemporary

Dates

? — ?

Role

Daoist ScholarsProfessor, University of Georgia

Birthplace

United States

Life

Russell Kirkland, an American scholar of Daoism, is professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Georgia and is known for his work on Tang-dynasty Daoism and on the methodology of Daoist studies. In his early career he studied the biographies and political roles of Tang Daoist priests, writing papers on Sima Chengzhen, Du Guangting, and Tang women Daoists. His monograph Taoism: The Enduring Tradition (2004) criticizes the long-standing Western bias of viewing Daoism through the dichotomy of ‘philosophical Daoism versus religious Daoism’ and a ‘Laozi–Zhuangzi-centered’ framework, arguing instead for understanding Daoism within its own historical and traditional context; the book has had considerable influence on the methodology of Western Daoist studies. He has also long compiled bibliographies and teaching resources for Daoist studies. The above is drawn from publicly available academic information.

Contributions & Influence

• Wrote Taoism: The Enduring Tradition, criticizing Western biases in understanding Daoism
• Studied Tang-dynasty Daoist figures and biography
• Compiled bibliographies and teaching resources for Daoist studies

Works

• Taoism: The Enduring Tradition
• Essay collection: Studies on Tang Daoism