Justin McDaniel is a writer, teacher, and pedagogical innovator. He is the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD in Sanskrit and Indian Studies from Harvard University. He has published five books in his field, edited ten more, and published over 100 scholarly articles and reviews in the fields of Burmese, Lao, Pali, Shan, Sanskrit, Tai Lei, and Sanskrit literature, Buddhist ritual, Southeast Asian Art and Architecture, Manuscript Studies, and Monasticism.
He has been a Fulbright, Mellon, Rockefeller, Templeton, Carpenter, and Guggenheim Fellow, and has won numerous teaching and advising awards including the Kahin Prize and the Becker Prize for writing.
He was named one of the top ten most innovative professors in America by the Chronicle of Higher Education and one of the hundred top cultural influencers by Cultured Magazine in 2026. His work on pedagogical methods in the courses Existential Despair and Living Deliberately has been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, Washington Post, the New York Times and many other venues. He lives in Philadelphia.
His latest book, Existential Despair (Penguin/Crown) will be published in January 2027 and is available for pre-sale here and will be available in German, Italian, Korean and other languages soon.
Articles:
Justin McDaniel Opens a Door to Contemplative Life
The Professor Behind the Viral “Monk Class” Has Some Advice for You