Laura Harrington

Laura Harrington is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Boston University, with expertise in Buddhism in America, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, and material culture. She received her Ph.D. in Religion from Columbia University in 2002, focusing on Indian and Tibetan Buddhisms, with a dissertation titled 'A View of Mañjuśrī: Wisdom and its Monastic Crown Prince in Pāla India.' Her earlier degrees include an M.Phil. (1997) and M.A. (1995) in Religion from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Religion from Wesleyan University in 1986, concentrating on the History of Religions in South Asian traditions. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received the Trench Prize for Excellence in Religious Studies at Wesleyan.

Prior to joining Boston University in 2009 as a Lecturer—promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2021—Harrington held positions as Visiting Assistant Professor at Trinity College (2003–2006) and Wesleyan University (2007–2008), Research Associate at Smith College (2006–2007), and instructor roles at Williams College, New School University, and Columbia University. Her research explores Buddhist Tantric traditions, religious embodiment, Buddhism in the United States, the history of Mahayana Buddhism, and its intersections with politics, art, and American foreign policy during the early Cold War, including covert CIA involvement. Current projects include the book manuscript Cold War Karma: Buddhism, Development, and the Cultural Politics of Knowledge. Notable publications encompass 'The Greatest Movie Never Made' in Religion and American Culture (2021), 'Mañjusri' in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion (2017), 'Exorcising the Mandala: Kālacakra and the Neo-Pentecostal Response' in Journal of Global Buddhism (2013), contributions to As Long as Space Endures (2008), and On Fire! A Catalogue of Tibetan Tantric Art (2007). She edited Tibetan Astro-Science (Tibet Domani, 2000) and Kalachakra (Tibet Domani, 1999), and has authored numerous reviews for CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. Awards include the Hoover Institution Library & Archives Scholar Research Grant (2024), Boston University Professional Development Award (2026), Lane Cooper Foundation Dissertation Writing Fellowship (2000–2001), and various Columbia University fellowships. Harrington teaches courses such as Buddhism: An Introduction, Buddhist Art of Asia, Buddhism in America, Buddhist Literature, and Comparative Asian Medical Traditions.

Professional Email: lharring@bu.edu