Mario Ignacio Aguilar (born 10 March 1959) is the Chair of Religion and Politics at the School of Divinity (St. Mary's College) of the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

Biography

He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Since joining the University of St Andrews in 1994, he has held various positions including, Dean of Divinity (2002-2005). Aguilar is also the current director and a founding director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics (known as the CSRP) based within St Mary's, and the centre only accepts PhD researchers. He is also the coordinator of the Scholars at the Peripheries Research Group. Aguilar's research includes what is considered to be the largest study of its kind, a ten-year research project (2007-2017) on religion and politics in Tibet. The project reflects on the challenges that will be faced by the 15th Dalai Lama and how "Tibetans are going to manage religion and politics as two geographically separated entities within a Tibetan Buddhist practice that incorporates past histories and a Tibetan region that remains part of contemporary China." In addition in July 2012 De Gruyter announced the engagement of Aguilar as the general editor of a three volume Handbook on Liberation Theology.

Other Appointments and Responsibilities

Selected publications