As professor of the history of religions, I specialize on contemporary religion in East Asia. Concentrating on Chinese religions, esp. Buddhism, and the role of religion in society, my approach is inspired by the aesthetics of religion and the analysis of decision-making processes.

Trained in Religious Studies, Sinology, and Theology (Münster, Bonn, Taipeh), I was fascinated by Chinese Buddhist life. In my Ph.D. thesis, I analyzed the motivation of lay believers to denote themselves Buddhist in urban settings (Ghent, 2010). From 2009 onwards, I reflected on Chinese Buddhist divination (habilitation) and engaged in establishing the IKGF (Univ. Erlangen-Nuremberg) that deals with conceptualizations of the future between Asian and Europe. I am currently going deeper into questions about the history of emotions and ritual as well as I work on interactions between religion and public education in Greater China.