John L. Crow

Technologist & Scholar of Religious History

I am an educational technologist and scholar of religious history whose work bridges the humanities, digital literacy, and online pedagogy. My research focuses on the historical development of Eastern and esoteric religious traditions in the modern West, with particular attention to how Buddhism and Western occultism emerged in dialogue with one another during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. My recent book, The Life of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya, examines these intersections through the biography of an English Theosophist who became one of the earliest Western Buddhist missionaries.

Alongside my scholarly work, I serve as an Instructional Specialist Faculty member at Florida State University, where I focus on educational technology, online course design, and the teaching of digital and AI literacy in the humanities. I work closely with faculty to design pedagogically sound online courses and to critically integrate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, into teaching and learning. I also teach online courses in religious studies through Utah State University.

Across both research and practice, my work is driven by a shared question. How do institutions, instructors, and students meaningfully adapt to technological change without losing sight of historical context, human judgment, and educational values?


Scholarship

My scholarship spans religious history and educational technology, united by a shared concern with how institutions and individuals adapt to periods of cultural and technological change.

Research Areas

Religious History

  1. Western esotericism and occultism in the modern period
  2. Buddhism and other Asian religious traditions in their early transmission to the West
  3. Religion, science, and spiritual authority in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
  4. Esoteric constructions of the body, emotion, and discipline

Educational Technology

  1. Online pedagogy and course design in the humanities
  2. Digital and AI literacy for students and instructors
  3. Accessibility, universal design, and inclusive learning environments
  4. Critical approaches to educational technology and artificial intelligence (AI)

Chronological and Geographic Focus

  1. Period: ca. 1850 to the beginning of World War II
  2. Primary regions: the United States and Britain
  3. Secondary regions: Western Europe
  4. Global context: English-speaking world shaped by British and American imperial networks
  5. Asian traditions: India and Southeast Asia, with limited reference to East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism in transnational contexts

Core Claims

  1. Western esotericism, particularly occultism, has played a far more significant role in modern Western culture than is typically acknowledged.
  2. Early encounters between Western esoteric movements and Asian religious traditions produced hybrid forms of religion that shaped popular, scholarly, and institutional understandings of Buddhism in the West.
  3. When deployed thoughtfully, educational technologies and artificial intelligence can expand access and improve learning without displacing historical context, disciplinary expertise, or human judgment.

Selected Projects

  1. The Life of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya (Equinox, 2026)
    Two-volume biography and collected writings examining the intersection of Western occultism, early Western Buddhism, and imperial networks.
  2. “The Invention of Occultism: The Creation and Shaping of an Esoteric Category”
    An analysis of how “occultism” emerged as a modern classificatory and bibliographic category.
  3. “Accessing the Astral with a Monitor and Mouse”
  4. A study of esoteric religion and virtual environments, exploring how religious experience is mediated by digital space.

Methods and Orientation

  1. Historical and archival research
  2. Close textual analysis
  3. Genealogical and critical approaches to religious categories
  4. Applied digital humanities and pedagogical research

I approach both historical scholarship and educational technology critically and historically, with an emphasis on clarity, evidence, and long-term consequences rather than novelty or hype.


Curriculum Vitae

John Lowell Crow

Education

2017
Ph.D., Florida State University, Department of Religious Studies
Dissertation: Crow, John L. (2017). Occult Bodies: The Corporal Construction of the Theosophical Society, 1875-1935.
2009
M.A., University of Amsterdam, Department of Religious Studies
2007
B.A., Kennesaw State University, Department of English

Academic Experience

Instructional Specialist Faculty, Level III
Florida State University, Office of Digital Learning and Academic Technology (ODL)
Tallahassee, Florida, August 2026 to Present
  • Provide institutional leadership in the planning, development, and implementation of digital accessibility and Universal Design for Learning initiatives, including advanced consultation, faculty development, and guidance on compliance with state and federal accessibility requirements
  • Lead and support university initiatives involving artificial intelligence and emerging instructional technologies through evaluation, faculty training, consultation, presentations, pilot projects, and the development of practical applications for teaching and learning
  • Advance the quality of online and technology-enhanced education through management of course review and certification processes, faculty development, and implementation of the Quality Matters rubric and Florida Board of Governors Quality Initiative standards
  • Design, evaluate, and implement instructional and technological solutions supporting online, hybrid, and face-to-face education, collaborating with academic, technical, and administrative units on university-wide instructional technology initiatives
  • Provide advanced consultation and strategic guidance to faculty, staff, and university leadership on instructional design, educational technology, accessibility, data-informe
Instructional Specialist Faculty, Level II
Florida State University, Office of Digital Learning and Academic Technology (ODL)
Tallahassee, Florida, August 2019 to July 2026
  • Ensure the quality of online and technology-enhanced courses through faculty training, consultation, and course evaluations using the Quality Matters rubric and Florida Board of Governors Quality Initiative standards
  • Provide a leading role in the university's planning, development, and implementation of digital accessibility and universal design policies and practices to ensure compliance with state and federal laws
  • Design, develop, implement, and evaluate instructional and technological solutions supporting online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses and programs across the university
  • Evaluate, recommend, and train faculty and staff in the effective use of instructional technologies, accessibility tools, and universal design practices
  • Assist with the planning and development of instructional projects, including budgets, timelines, and marketing materials to support successful course deployment
Instructional Specialist Faculty, Level I
Florida State University, Office of Distance Learning (ODL)
Tallahassee, Florida, August 2014 to July 2019
  • Designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated instructional and technological solutions supporting online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses and programs across the university
  • Ensured the quality of online course design through faculty training, consultation, and course evaluations using the Quality Matters rubric
  • Played a leading role in the university's planning and development of digital accessibility and universal design policies and practices to improve instructional quality and ensure compliance with state and federal laws
  • Evaluated, recommended, and trained faculty and staff in the effective use of instructional technologies, accessibility tools, and universal design practices
  • Assisted with the planning and development of instructional projects, including budgets, timelines, and marketing materials to support successful course deployment

Teaching Experience

Florida State University

2010 to present, in-person and online

Utah State University

2014 to present, online

Tallahassee Community College

2011 to 2014, in-person and online

Publications

Refereed Books
Crow, John L. & Elizabeth J. Harris. 2026. The Life of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Vol. 1 of Biography and Collected Writings. Equinox Publishing.
Crow, John L. & Elizabeth J. Harris, eds. 2026. Selected Writings of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Vol. 2 of Biography and Collected Writings. Equinox Publishing.
Refereed Journal Articles
Crow, John L. 2012. "Taming the Astral Body: The Theosophical Society's Ongoing Problem of Emotion and Control." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 80 (3): 691–717. doi: 10.1093/jaarel/lfs042.
Refereed Book Chapters
Crow, John L. 2013. "Accessing the Astral with a Monitor and Mouse: Esoteric Religion and the Astral located in Three Dimensional Virtual Realms." In Contemporary Esotericism, edited by K. Granholm and Egil Asprem, 159–180. Acumen Publishing.
Crow, John L. 2008. "Venerable Ananda Metteyya's Buddhist Mission to the UK." In Dharma to the UK: A Centennial Celebration of Buddhist Legacy, edited by Mahinda Deegalle, 14–36. World Buddhist Foundation.
Book Reviews
Crow, John L. 2017. Review of Taormina's Historic Past and Continuing Story: A Unique Spiritual Community in Ojai, by Helene Vachet. Quest 105 (2): 47.
Crow, John L. 2016. Review of Handbook of the Theosophical Current, edited by Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein. Communal Societies 36 (1): 86–89.
Crow, John L. 2014. Review of Yearning for the New Age: Laura Holloway-Langford and Late Victorian Spirituality, by Diane Sasson. Communal Societies 34 (1): 100–102.
Crow, John L. 2014. Review of Religion and the Subtle Body in Asia and the West: Between Mind and Body, edited by Geoffrey Samuel and Jay Johnson. Religious Studies Review 40 (4): 196. doi: 10.1111/rsr.12166_5.
Crow, John L. 2014. Review of Occultism in a Global Perspective, edited by Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic. Religious Studies Review 40 (4): 195. doi: 10.1111/rsr.12166_2.
Crow, John L. 2014. Review of Celestial India: Madame Blavatsky and the Birth of Indian Nationalism, by Isaac Lubelsky. Nova Religio 17 (4). doi: 10.1525/nr.2014.17.4.109.
Crow, John L. 2013. Review of Radiance from Halcyon: A Utopian Experiment in Religion and Science, by Paul Eli Ivey. Quest 101 (4): 156, 158.
Crow, John L. 2013. Review of Native American Freemasonry: Associationalism and Performance in America, by Joy Porter. Nova Religio 17 (2): 123–126. doi: 10.1525/nr.2013.17.2.123.
Crow, John L. 2012. Review of Dixie Dharma: Inside a Buddhist Temple in the American South, by Jeff Wilson. Journal of Southern Religion 14.
Reference & Encyclopedia Articles
Crow, John L. 2017. "Race, Sectionalism, and Religion in America." Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.490.
Crow, John L. 2016. "Buddhism," "Illuminati Controversy," and "New Age." In Religion and Politics in America: An Encyclopedia of Church and State in American Life, edited by Frank Smith, 87–89, 369–370, 509–513. ABC-CLIO.
Crow, John L. 2015. "Astral plane," "Mesmerism," and "Ritual magic." In Ghosts, Spirits, and Psychics: The Paranormal from Alchemy to Zombies, edited by Matt Cardin, 27–30, 158–161, 271–274. ABC-CLIO.
Crow, John L. 2015. "Automatic Writing," "Channeling," "Aleister Crowley," and "Spiritualism." In Spirit Possession around the World: Possession, Communion, and Demon Expulsion across Cultures, edited by Joseph Laycock, 22–24, 71–74, 87–89, 323–328. ABC-CLIO.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Ouija Board" and "Spiritualism." In The Twenties in America, edited by Carl Rollyson, 658–659, 818–819. Salem Press.
Selected Professional Writing
Crow, John L. 2012. "Thought Forms: A Bibliographic Error." Theosophical History: A Quarterly Journal of Research 16 (3–4): 126–127.
Crow, John L. 2009. "Miracle or Magic? The Problematic Status of Christian Amulets." In Van Discussie tot Beleving: Religiestudies aan de UvA, edited by Jacqueline Braak and Deirdre Malone, 97–112. Ars Notoria/University of Amsterdam.
Crow, John L. 2008. "The Unity of All Life: Ananda Metteyya's View of Nature." The Middle Way: The Journal of the Buddhist Society 83 (3): 131–137; 83 (4): 195–202.
Crow, John L. 2008. "Allan Bennett & the Emergence of Buddhism in the West." Insight: The Journal of the Theosophical Society of England 49 (3): 30–33.
Crow, John L. 2007. "Epistemological Blinders: Constructivism and Mahamudra." In Quinta Essentia: The Selected Proceedings of the 5th Annual North Georgia Student Philosophy Conference.
Crow, John L. 2007. "The Nature of Becoming: An Examination of Aleister Crowley's Ontology and Map of Consciousness." In Interplay: The Selected Proceedings of the 4th Annual North Georgia Student Philosophy Conference.
Digital Scholarship
Crow, John L. 2014. "A Geographical Analysis of the American Lecture Tours of Annie Besant, 1891-1929." GIS analysis report. Florida State University. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.4054848.
Crow, John L., dir. 2016. Religious Institutions of Tallahassee & Cross-Cultural Diversity Artifacts. Digital humanities project.
Crow, John L. 2011–2017. Religion in American History Group Blog. Contributor.
Community Scholarship
Crow, John L. 2025. "Empowering Students and Faculty in the AI Loop." Hosted by Sophie White and Jenay Robert. Educause Shop Talk Podcast, December 1, 2025. Podcast.
Crow, John L. 2025. "Exploring AI in the Classroom: A Spotlight on FSU's John L. Crow, Ph.D." Interview by Karen Hawkins. FSU AI Initiative. February 6, 2025.
Crow, John L. 2016. "Satanism: Religion, Philosophy, Lifestyle." Radio Interview by Colin McEnroe. The Colin McEnroe Show, NPR Connecticut. September 27, 2016. Audio.
Crow, John L. 2013. "A Survey and History of Alternative Religions in America." Radio Interview by Samantha and Kevin Berg. Bridge to Everywhere, 89.5 HVAF, Palmer, Alaska. September 16, 2013. Audio.

Presentations

Invited International Keynote Presentations
Crow, John L. 2009. "Spreading The Light of Asia To Europe: Ananda Metteyya's Buddhist Message to the West." Keynote Lecture, World Buddhist Foundation "UK Buddhist Day Celebrations," London, England, September 20, 2009.
Refereed Presentations
Crow, John L. 2026. "From Possibility to Practice: Supporting Faculty AI Workflows with Gemini Gems & NotebookLM", ITS RISE Together Showcase, Tallahassee, Florida, April 7.
Crow, John L. 2025. "Integrating AI in Online Humanities Courses: Challenges and Future Directions", ITS RISE Together Showcase, Tallahassee, Florida, April 8.
Crow, John L. 2022. "The Invention of Occultism: The Creation and Shaping of an Esoteric Category." International Theosophical History Conference, Naarden, Netherlands, October 2022.
Crow, John L. & Johnathan Braswell. 2018. "Managing the Big Show: Lessons Learned Transitioning to Canvas." InstructureCon, Colorado, July 2018.
Crow, John L. 2018. "Against Sex and Marriage: Blavatsky's Arguments for Celibacy and Chastity Being at Occultism's Core." Rice University, "Eros, Sexuality, and Embodiment in Esoteric Traditions," Association for the Study of Esotericism, Houston, Texas, May 2018.
Crow, John L. 2017. "The American Tours of Annie Besant." The Theosophical Society in England, International Conference on Annie Besant (1847-1933), London, England, October 2017.
Crow, John L. 2016. Panelist, "The Digital Futures of Religious Studies." Annual Meeting, American Academy of Religion, San Antonio, Texas, November 2016.
Crow, John L. 2016. "More than the Sum of its Parts: Mapping the Subtle Bodies in Theosophy." University of California, Davis, "Cartographies of the Soul," Association for the Study of Esotericism, Davis, California, June 2016.
Crow, John L. and Annette Jones. 2015. "Using Media Analytics to Enhance Course Design." Online Learning Consortium, 21st Annual Online Learning Consortium International Conference, Orlando, Florida, October 2015.
Crow, John L. 2015. "Embodying Christ Consciousness: Jiddu Krishnamurti as the 20th century Theosophical Mahatma." Florida State University, "Religion & Resistance," Fourteenth Annual Department of Religion Graduate Student Symposium, Tallahassee, Florida, February 2015.
Crow, John L. 2014. "The Primeval Divine Hermaphrodite: Theosophy's Construction and Deconstruction of Victorian Gender Norms." Annual Meeting, American Academy of Religion, San Diego, California, November 2014.
Crow, John L. 2014. "A Necessary Evil: Theosophy's Ambivalence towards the Human Body." The Theosophical Society in England, International Theosophical History Conference, London, England, September 2014.
Crow, John L. 2014. "The Theosophical Shift to the Visual: Graphical Representations of the Human Body in the Literature of Second and Third Generation Leadership in the Theosophical Society." Colgate University, "Esoteric Practice: Theories, Representations, & Method," Fifth International Conference of the Association of the Study of Esotericism, Hamilton, New York, June 2014.
Crow, John L. 2014. "The Theosophical Shift to the Visual: Graphical Representations of the Human Body in the Literature of Second and Third Generation Leadership in the Theosophical Society." Florida State University, "Inscribing Authority: Bodies, Spaces, Texts," Thirteenth Annual Department of Religion Graduate Student Symposium, Tallahassee, Florida, February 2014.
Crow, John L. 2013. "Adjudicating the Limits of Belief." Fourteenth Annual Department of Religion Graduate Student Symposium, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, March 2013.
Crow, John L. 2013. "Just Call Me Jack: Madame Blavatsky's Gender Politics." Florida State University, "Politics of Religion," Twelfth Annual Department of Religion Graduate Student Symposium, Tallahassee, Florida, February 2013.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Ariosophic Demon Seeds: The Theosophical Roots of Nazi Race Theory." "World War II and Religion Conference," Institute on World War II and the Human Experience and Department of Religion, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, December 2012.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Disciplining the Mental and Desire Bodies on the Astral Plane: Thought-Forms and the Regulation of the Theosophical Bodies." Annual Meeting, American Academy of Religion, Chicago, Illinois, November 2012.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Blavatsky's Coming Race: Nationalism, Racism and Fiction in Theosophical Doctrine." University of California, Davis, "Esotericism, Religion, and Culture," Association for the Study of Esotericism Fourth International Conference, Davis, California, July 2012.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Blavatsky's Coming Race: Nationalism, Racism and Fiction in Theosophical Doctrine." University of North Carolina, Asheville, "Spiritual Matters/Matters of the Spirit," 33rd Annual Conference of the Nineteenth Century Studies Association, Asheville, North Carolina, March 2012.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Lemuria Rising: California in the Theosophical Place-Making Imagination." South Eastern Commission for the Study of Religion, Regional Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2012.
Crow, John L. 2012. "Blavatsky's Coming Race: Nationalism, Racism, and Fiction in Theosophical Doctrine." Florida State University, "Beyond Borders: Constructing, Deconstructing, and Transgressing Boundaries," 11th Annual Graduate Student Symposium, Tallahassee, Florida, February 2012.
Crow, John L. 2011. "'Can Females Become Adepts?': Explicating the Complexity of Gender within the Theosophical Society." Florida State University, "Women and Minorities: Past and Present," Third Annual Southeast Regional History Graduate Student Conference, Tallahassee, Florida, September 2011.
Crow, John L. 2010. "Placing Western Esotericism on the Map: Exploring the Geographic Distribution of a Modern Occult Organization." University of Toronto, "Religion: A Human Phenomenon," 20th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religion, Toronto, Canada, August 2010.
Crow, John L. 2010. "Unveiling the Unveiled: Exploring the Genealogy and Rhetoric of Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, Positive Thinking, and the Law of Attraction." Florida State University, "Sects and Sexuality: Issues of Division and Diversity," 9th Annual Graduate Student Symposium, Tallahassee, Florida, February 2010.
Crow, John L. 2009. "A New Jerusalem in Cyberspace?" University of Strasbourg, "Capitals of European Esotericism and Transcultural Dialogue," 2nd International Conference of ESSWE, Strasbourg, France, July 2009.
Crow, John L. 2008. "Duncan's Royal Arch Ritual as a possible framework for Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code." University of Leiden, "The Expression of Freemasonry," The Hague, Netherlands, November 2008.
Crow, John L. 2008. "The Bhikkhu and the Magus: Exploring Allan Bennett's Influence on Aleister Crowley." CESNUR, "Twenty Years and More: Research into Minority Religions, New Religious Movements and 'the New Spirituality'," London, England, April 2008.
Crow, John L. 2008. "Miracle or Magic: The Problematic Status of Christian Amulets." University of Amsterdam, "Emblems, Magic, and Hidden Knowledge," Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 2008.
Crow, John L. 2007. "Epistemological Blinders: Constructivism and Mahamudra." Kennesaw State University, 5th Annual North Georgia Student Philosophy Conference, Kennesaw, Georgia, April 2007.
Crow, John L. 2006. "The Nature of Becoming: An examination of Aleister Crowley's Ontology and Map of Consciousness." Kennesaw State University, 4th Annual North Georgia Student Philosophy Conference, Kennesaw, Georgia, April 2006.
Invited Lectures and Interactions
Crow, John L. 2026. "Interactive Technology Tools for Teaching", FSU Faculty Innovators, Tallahassee, Florida, April 8.
Crow, John L. 2025. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Classroom", FSU Faculty Innovators, Tallahassee, Florida, January 29.
Crow, John L. 2016. "Modern Science's Dependence on Religion." Invited talk at Utah State University, Logan, Utah, March 30, 2016.
Crow, John L. 2016. "Creating and Teaching Effective Online Courses." Invited talk at Utah State University, Logan, Utah, March 30, 2016.
Poster Presentations
Crow, John L. 2025. "Building AI Literacy: Teaching Students to Critically Engage with Generative Technologies." EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2025, Nashville, Tennessee, October 29.

Professional, Academic, and Community Activities

Professional Affiliations
European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism
Association for the Study of Esotericism (North America)
American Academy of Religion
American Historical Association
Professional Committees
2026-2027. Delegate, Digital & Online Learning Working Group, Digital Education Council.
2026-2027. Delegate, Teaching with AI Working Group, Digital Education Council.
2018–2022. Western Esotericism Panel, Steering Committee. American Academy of Religion (AAR).
2013–2018. Buddhism in the West, Steering Committee. American Academy of Religion (AAR).
2014–2020. Co-Organizer, THATCamp AAR/SBL. The Humanities and Technology Camp.
2013. MOOC Advisory Committee Member. Society for U.S. Intellectual Historians.
Professional Boards and Editorships
2008–2017. Assistant to the Editor. Japan Studies Association Journal, Japan Studies Association.
2011–2016. Assistant to the Editor. Belmont Humanities Symposium Journal, Belmont University.
2005–2012. Assistant to the Editor. East West-Connections, Asian Studies Development Program, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
2010–2011. Assistant to the Editors. Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, American Society of Church History.
Professional Review Activities
Manuscript Reviewer, Oxford University Press
Manuscript Reviewer, Columbia University Press
Textbook Manuscript Reviewer, W.W. Norton

Grants and Research Funding

2018
HILT Participation Grant. FSU Office of Digital Research and Scholarship
2018
Sponsorship Programme for Independent Scholarly Initiatives & Research. European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE)
2009–2016
FSU Department of Religion Presentation Grant
2009–2016
FSU Congress of Graduate Students Conference Presentation Grant
2008
Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (Full Tuition). Graduate School of Humanities, University of Amsterdam
2007
Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (Two-Thirds Tuition). Graduate School of Humanities, University of Amsterdam
2004–2007
Georgia HOPE Tuition Scholarship

Honors and Awards

2025
FSU Office of Digital Learning Innovation Award
2024
FSU Office of Digital Learning Innovation Award
2022
FSU Office of Distance Learning Accountability Award
2021
FSU Office of Distance Learning Innovation Award
2020
FSU Office of Distance Learning Customer Service Award
2017
FSU Office of Distance Learning Innovation Award
2016
FSU Office of Distance Learning Innovation Award
2013
FSU Excellence in Online Course Design Award
2013
Honorable Mention, FSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award
2011
Best Philosophy Paper. Third Annual Southeast Regional History Graduate Student Conference

Certifications

July 2023
Quality Matters 7th Edition Rubric Update Certification
January 2021
January 2019
Quality Matters 6th Edition Rubric Update Certification
July 2015
Advanced Online Teaching Certificate, Online Learning Consortium

Contact

University:
Florida State University
Office of Digital Learning & Academic Technology
296 Champions Way
Tallahassee, FL 32306
United States of America
Phone: (850) 645-0973
jlcrow@fsu.edu
Personal:
2801 Starmount Ln
Tallahassee, FL 32303
United States of America
www.johnlcrow.com john@johnlcrow.com
Academic Networking Accounts:
Scopus icon  Scopus: 55344042700
 Google Scholar: John L. Crow
 Academia.edu: JohnLCrow
 ResearchGate: John_L_Crow
 Zotero: jlcrow
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Social Media Accounts:
 LinkedIn: johnlcrow