Geoffrey Barstow | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Buddhist scholar |
Geoffrey Francis Barstow is an Americanreligious historian and Buddhist scholar whose research focuses onTibetan Buddhist ideas aboutanimal ethics andvegetarianism.[1]
Barstow was educated in Buddhist studies atHampshire College andKathmandu University where he obtained hisB.A.[2] He obtained hisPhD in religious studies fromUniversity of Virginia in 2013.[2] Barstow is assistant professor of religious studies atOregon State University.[1] He is a student ofChökyi Nyima Rinpoche.[3]
In 2017, Barstow authoredFood 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 theJournal 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 ofThe Faults of Meat: Tibetan Buddhist Writings on Vegetarianism.[8] Barstow has given online courses on Buddhism andanimal welfare.[9]