Jens Reinke`s research examines contemporary Mahayana Buddhism in a global perspective. Centering on Taiwan, he explores how contemporary Buddhist social engagements are shaped by translocative entanglements, such as Western colonial legacies, Asian nation-state building, migration, rising inter-state tensions, global integration, and the cross-border circulation of ideas and practices.
Reinke has extensively published on contemporary Taiwanese Buddhism. His book, Mapping Modern Mahayana: Chinese Buddhism and Migration in the Age of Global Modernity (De Gruyter, 2021), presents a multi-sited ethnography centered on Fo Guang Shan and was recognized as a “Groundbreaking Work in the Study of Chinese Religions” by the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions.
In his ongoing research, Reinke examines the emergence of Buddhist palliative care in Taiwan. His work investigates interactions among Buddhist and non-Buddhist, religious and non-religious actors, examining how dynamic, locally shaped frameworks of religion and secularity shape understandings of care, ethics, and the meaning of life and death. By observing these processes, his research sheds light on how religions endure and evolve within secular institutions, exploring how care, ethics, and spiritual meaning are continuously negotiated in contemporary society.
Actively engaged in scholarly and Buddhist networks, Reinke connects Asian, European, and U.S. debates on contemporary Buddhist social engagements, exploring how Buddhism is practiced and experienced in real-world contexts and fostering dialogue between academia, Buddhist communities, and society at large.
