John G. Grisafi, PhD

Academic researcher, teacher, and writer: Religious Studies, Korean Studies, Asian Religions and Philosophies, East Asian Studies

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My name is John G. Grisafi, and I am a scholar and educator specializing in religion, philosophy, and history in Korea and elsewhere in East Asia, including China and Japan. I am also interested in the epistemology, theory, history, and politics of religion more broadly. Currently, I am a Korea Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow affiliated with the Nam Center for Korean Studies at the University of Michigan. I earned my PhD in the Department of Religious Studies at Yale University, studying in the Asian Religions and Religion & Modernity fields. I also studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where I received a BA in East Asian Languages & Civilizations and World History and an MA in East Asian Languages & Civilizations with a concentration in Korean Studies, the Defense Language Institute, and Kyunghee University.

My research and writing is best described as the critical discursive study of religion and secularism in modern Korea, focusing on the epistemology and conceptual construction of religion through governance, public policy and discourse, historiography, memory, media, and culture. I’ve worked on such topics as the conceptual shaping of religion through the influences and pressures of empire in modern Korea, public discourse on the marginal religious group Shincheonji in context of COVID in South Korea, the legacy and memory of former Shinto shrine sites in Seoul, the historiography of religion in North Korea, and the religions policy of the 1945-1948 United States Army Military Government in (South) Korea. See my Research & Projects page for a detailed list.

My scholarship on Shincheonji and Covid can be found in the peer-reviewed journal Nova Religio. Additionally, I have worked as a journalist and military analyst covering North Korea, with a total of 200 single-authored and co-authored articles at NK News and NK Pro. A complete list of published works is on my Publications page.

My teaching is centered on modern Korean and East Asian religion, philosophy, and history. I have taught as a Teaching Fellow at Yale University, on Korean religion and culture, Chinese philosophy, Buddhism, and the philosophy of religion. I also teach on Korean Religion through the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia’s Program for Teaching East Asia, and have taught in other venues for the wider community on Korean history, North Korea, religion in Korea, and Korean culture.

I believe in service to the academic profession, to students, and the wider community beyond academia. I taught Korean history, religion, and culture classes on a voluntary basis at a local Korean American church. I give guest lectures and public talks in panels and webinars, and consult for media. Within academia, I organize conferences, panels, and other events, edit publications, and provide peer reviews. I am available on a case-by-case basis for public speaking, guest lectures, and media consultation and interviews on topics within my areas of expertise and experience.

Check my News & Announcements page for updates on my upcoming and recent presentations, talks, publications, and more.

See my Speaking Engagements page for lists of my upcoming and past academic and public speaking engagements.

In addition to being a scholar and journalist, I worked for two years in Area Studies Technical Services (Korean and Japanese specialization) at the University of Pennsylvania Library, and served in the United States Army for 10 years.