American Buddhist scholar
Geoffrey Barstow |
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| Occupation | Buddhist scholar |
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Geoffrey Francis Barstow is an American religious historian and Buddhist scholar whose research focuses on Tibetan Buddhist ideas about animal ethics and vegetarianism.[1]
Biography
Barstow was educated in Buddhist studies at Hampshire College and Kathmandu University where he obtained his B.A.[2] He obtained his PhD in religious studies from University of Virginia in 2013.[2] Barstow is assistant professor of religious studies at Oregon State University.[1] He is a student of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.[3]
In 2017, Barstow authored Food of Sinful Demons: Meat, Vegetarianism and the Limits of Buddhism in Tibet, which has been positively reviewed.[4][5][6][7] It is the first academic book to significantly explore vegetarianism in Tibet in its cultural and religious context.[4] James Stewart in the Journal of Buddhist Ethics described it as "a comprehensive study of Tibetan vegetarianism within the context of the pre-communist era. It is a pleasurable read, thoughtfully written, and deploys well supported arguments that draw upon a wealth of Buddhist literature."[5]
In 2019, Barstow was the editor of The Faults of Meat: Tibetan Buddhist Writings on Vegetarianism.[8] Barstow has given online courses on Buddhism and animal welfare.[9]
