Christian Konrad Wedemeyer (born 1969) is an American scholar and political and social activist. He is Associate Professor of the History of Religions and Chair of the History of Religions Area at the

Divinity School A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, an associate member of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and Assistant Marshal of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. In February 2008, he was elected to a four-year term as

Committeeman In the United States, a political party committee is an organization, officially affiliated with a political party and registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), which raises and spends money for political campaigning. Political party ...

for the 5th Ward of the City of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

(Green Party); and he was reappointed for a second term in 2012. In June 2014, he was elected Secretary of the Cook County Green Party. From 2007 until 2011, he was co-chair of the Hyde Park Green Party, a local chapter of the

Illinois Green Party The Illinois Green Party is a statewide political party in Illinois. The party is state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. Its stated mission and purpose are to advance the ''Ten Key Values of the Green Party'' in Illinois through ...

Green Party of the United States The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) is a federation of Green state political parties in the United States. The party promotes green politics, specifically environmentalism; nonviolence; social justice; participatory democracy, grassroot ...

. His work within the field of the history of religions has largely been concerned with the history, literature, and ritual of

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

. In addition to historical and philological studies of Sanskrit and Tibetan religious literature, he has written on the historiography of

Esoteric Buddhism Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

and its

antinomianism Antinomianism (Ancient Greek: ἀντί 'anti''"against" and νόμος 'nomos''"law") is any view which rejects laws or legalism and argues against moral, religious or social norms (Latin: mores), or is at least considered to do so. The term ha ...

currents, textual criticism and strategies of legitimating authority in classical Tibetan scholasticism, and the semiology of esoteric Buddhist ritual. He is an editor of the journal ''

History of Religions The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BC). The prehistory of religion involves th ...

'', former Buddhism editor for ''

Religious Studies Review ''Religious Studies Review'' (RSR) is the journal of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR), which is based at Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Tex ...

'' (Blackwell), and serves on the editorial boards of, and acts in a consulting capacity for a number of academic journals and presses. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland are individuals who have been elected by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science lite ...

in 2000, and elected to membership in the American Society for the Study of Religion in 2012. In 2010, he was elected to a three-year term as Co-chair of the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion. In 2013, he was elected to a second term as co-chair of the AAR Buddhism Section and elected to a three-year term on the Executive Committee of the North American Association for the Study of Religion. He is also a member (and former officer) of the

American Oriental Society The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship. The Society encourages basi ...

; and active in the International Association for Tibetan Studies and the

International Association of Buddhist Studies International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

. In 2010–2011 he was a Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was awarded the 2013 American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (Historical Studies) for his book,
Making Sense of Tantric Buddhism: History, Semiology, and Transgression in the Indian Traditions
'. He has consulted for the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

, the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

, the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

, and a number of European scientific organizations.

Education

*Ph.D. with distinction (1999,

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in the City of New York) *M.Phil. (1995,

in the City of New York) *M.A. (1994,

in the City of New York) *B.A. with High Honors in Religion (1991,

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

)

Books

*
Making Sense of Tantric Buddhism: History, Semiology, and Transgression in the Indian Traditions
' (Columbia University Press, 2013) *
Āryadeva's'' Lamp that Integrates the Practices (''Caryāmelāpakapradīpa''): ''The Gradual Path of Vajrayāna Buddhism according to the Esoteric Community Noble Tradition
' (AIBS/Columbia University Press, 2007)
''In Vimalakīrti's House: A Festschrift in Honor of Robert A.F. Thurman on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday''
(Ed. Christian K. Wedemeyer, John D. Dunne, and Thomas F. Yarnall; AIBS/Columbia University Press, 2014) *
Hermeneutics, Politics and the History of Religions: The Contested Legacies of Joachim Wach and Mircea Eliade
' (Ed. Christian K. Wedemeyer and Wendy Doniger; Oxford University Press, 2010) *
Tibetan Buddhist Literature and Praxis: Studies in its Formative Period, 900–1400
' (Ed. Ronald M. Davidson and Christian K. Wedemeyer; E.J. Brill, 2006)

Academic appointments

*Associate Professor of the History of Religions,

University of Chicago Divinity School The University of Chicago Divinity School is a private graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries. Formed under Baptist auspices, the school today lacks any s ...

; also in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations (2011–present) *Assistant Professor of the History of Religions,

(2003–2011) *Lecturer in South Asian Studies and Director, Tibetan Studies Program,

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...

(2000–2003) *Post-doctoral Research Scholar, New College of the University of South Florida (2000) *Adjunct Instructor of Buddhist Studies,

Antioch University Antioch University is a private university with multiple campuses in the United States and online programs. Founded in 1852 as Antioch College, its first president was politician, abolitionist, and education reformer Horace Mann. It changed its ...

(1995, 1999) *Adjunct Instructor of Religious Studies,

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

(1999, 2000) *Preceptor,

(1996–1999) *Instructor, Columbia University (1993–1995) *Teaching Assistant, Columbia University (1992–1993) *Teaching Apprentice,

(1990–1991)

References

Sources

Professor Wedemeyer's page on the University of Chicago websiteCook County Clerk's Office Directory of Elected Officials

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wedemeyer, Christian University of Chicago Divinity School faculty University of Chicago faculty Politicians from Chicago American religion academics American Indologists Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society Tibetologists Wesleyan University alumni Buddhist translators Living people 1969 births American orientalists Shady Side Academy alumni