Assistant Professor Undergraduate Coordinator Kendall Marchman is an Assistant Professor of Religion, and has been with the Religion Department since 2018. His primary research considers the development of Pure Land Buddhist practice and belief in China during the Tang Dynasty. Additionally, he has researched and published on religious tourism in Asia. He teaches a wide range of classes surveying the religions of Asia. Dr. Marchman welcomes inquiries and applications from prospective graduate students pursuing an M.A.. Prospective PhD students are welcome to contact Dr. Marchman, but he is not accepting PhD students for the upcoming year. Education Education: B.A. Mercer University M.T.S. Vanderbilt University Ph.D. University of Florida Research Research Interests: Chinese Religions Japanese Religions Pure Land Land Buddhism Religion and Tourism Theories of Religion Selected Publications Selected Publications: "The Changing Buddhist Landscape: Anxiety and the Development of Pure Land Buddhism in Medieval China," The Australian Journal of Anthropology 36.2 (2025). "Anxiety and Imagination among Early Pure Land Practitioners in China: An Analysis of Wangsheng xifang jingtu ruiying zhuan 往生西方淨土瑞應傳," International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture 34.2 (2024). "Material Culture in Pure Land Buddhist Practice," in The Oxford Handbook of Lived Buddhism (2024). “Perceiving Authenticity: Online Tourism Reviews of Buddhist Tourist Destinations,” in Buddhism under Capitalism (2022). "A Little Bird Told Me: The Magical Birds of the Pure Land," Journal of Chinese Religions 49.1 (2021). "Considering Tourism and Religion in Asian Cities," in Tourism in Asian Cities (2020) "Seeking the Pure Land (in the Classroom)," in Buddhisms in Asia (2019)
