Dr. Derek F. Maher joined the ECU faculty in 2003. He earned a PhD and MA in the History of Religions: Tibetan Studies from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, and a BA in Philosophy and BS in Physics from Evergreen State College. He is a professor of religious studies at East Carolina University and co-director of the Religious Studies program. Dr. Maher teaches courses in Buddhism, Islam, Methodology, and Religion and Violence.

His research interests include Tibetan biography, history, philosophy, politics, and especially religion. In particular, he is working on a series of biographies to see how they enact religious, philosophical and political agendas. He is actively engaged in publishing and presenting his research at national and international organizations.

Recent presentations include:

• "The Rhetoric of War in Tibet: Towards a Buddhist Just War Theory" - American Academy of Religion, Washington, D.C., November 18-21, 2006.
  
• "The Implication of Radical Life Extension Medical Advances on Buddhist Philosophy" - American Academy of Religion, Washington, D.C., November 18-21, 2006.
  
• "An Examination of a Critical Appraisal of Tsepön Shakabpa's One Hundred Thousand Moons" - International Association of Tibetan Studies, Bonn, Germany, August 27 - September 2, 2006.
  
• " 'Blowin' in the Wind: The Second Panchen Lama and State Power" - Tibetan Religion and State in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, University of California at Berkeley, May 5-7, 2006.

Dr. Maher also is working on an annotated translation of Tsepön Shakabpa's "One Hundred Thousand Moons: An Advanced Political History of Tibet."

Courses taught:

• PHIL 2691 - Classical Islam [HTML]  [PDF, 128 KB]
• PHIL 3691 - Islam in the Modern World
• PHIL 2692 - Buddhism [HTML]  [PDF, 148 KB]
• PHIL 3692 - Tibetan Religion and Culture
• RELI 4500 (even numbered years) - Methodology of Religious Studies [HTML]  [PDF, 148 KB]
• RELI 4500 (odd numbered years) - Violence and Religion [HTML]  [PDF, 148 KB]

Links to pages:

• Study Abroad in India [http://www.ecu.edu/religionprogram/india]
• Religious Studies [http://www.ecu.edu/religionprogram]
• Asian Studies [http://core.ecu.edu/hist/tuckerjo/ECUAsia.html]
• Philosophy Department [http://www.ecu.edu/phil]
• Tong-len [http://www.tong-len.org]