Dr. Jason Protass

Associate Professor

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Biography

Jason Protass is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Brown University. He specializes in the history of Chinese Buddhism during the eleventh to fourteenth centuries, particularly the Northern Song period. His notable works include the co-edited volume 'Countless Sands: Medieval Buddhists Environments' (2025) and the book 'Poetry Demon: Song-Dynasty Monks Verse Way' (2021), which explores the understanding of poetry among Buddhist monks. Protass has published several essays and chapters on Buddhist monks' poetry, including 'The Flavors Monks' Poetry: Witty Disparagement Influences' (2021) and 'Buddhist Fund-Raising Poems Lost Verses' (2023). His current research includes developing projects on the environmental history of Buddhism along China's rivers and the Chan teachings for laypersons during the Northern Song period.

Research Interests

Chinese Buddhism Environmental History Chan Buddhism Buddhist Poetry

Courses

Buddhism and Death Buddhist Thought, Practice, Society Introduction to Buddhism Big Screen Buddha Buddhism in Chinese History Buddhist Poetry Senior Capstone Seminar Chinese Buddhist Texts Reading Genres of Chinese Buddhist Verse Chinese Buddhism Buddhism and Vernacular Religion in China

Requirements for Brown University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in Economics or related field
Application Checklist
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • GRE Scores
  • TOEFL/IELTS Scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Department: Department of Economics