2005   "Problematizing 'Confucianism' and 'Taoism' in the ‘Introduction to Chinese Religions’ Course," American Academy of Religion, Philadelphia

2003   "Is There a Confucian Basis for Human Rights?"  Lingnan University (public lecture sponsored by the Department of Philosophy); Trinity University (Faculty Symposium sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs)

2003   "Gender Construction in Chinese Religions," Lingnan University (public lecture sponsored by the Department of Cultural Studies

2002   "A Critical Review of the Contributions of Daniel Overmyer to the Study of Chinese Religions," presented at "Religious Thought and Lived Religion in China: A Conference in Honour of Prof. Daniel L. Overmyer on his Retirement," at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

2001   "Wang Yang-ming’s Exile (1506-1508): The Impact of Popular Culture on the Chuan-xi Lu," presented at "Religious Thought and Lived Religion in China: A Conference in Honour of Prof. Daniel L. Overmyer on his Retirement," at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (postponed to 2002)

2001    "Confucianism and the Problem of Human Rights," ICCC Conference, Hong Kong Baptist University 

2000   "Visions of Millennial Imagination: Mirroring our Karmic Projections upon the World," "Last Lecture" sponsored by Trinity University Mortar Board

1999   "Comparing Comparativists: Reflections on Ninian Smart’s and Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s Approaches to the Study of Religion," Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas, TX

1998   "The Concept of Audiences in Teaching the Introductory Religion Course," Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas, TX

1996   "The Study of Chinese Religions in Chinese Scholarship on Taiwan," American Academy of Religion, New Orleans, LA

1996   "Self-Cutting to Heal Parents: The Pre-T’ang Origins of Confucian Self-Sacrifice," Society for the Study of Chinese Religions (Association for Asian Studies), Honolulu, HI

1995   "Selena Quintanilla Perez and China's 'Virgin Goddesses': Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Folk Sanctification," Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, St. Louis

1995   "The Use of Novels in the Asian Religions Course," Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas, TX

1994   "Religious Studies as Religious Act: Frederick J. Streng and the Emptiness of Religious Categories," American Academy of Religion, Chicago

1993   "Wang Ch'ung and Mo-tzu on Verification and Reason in the Debate over Ghosts and Funerals," Association for Asian Studies, Southwestern Conference, Mexico City

1993   "The Domestication of Precious Scrolls: The Ssu-ming Tsao-chun pao-chuan," Association for Asian Studies, Los Angeles, CA

1993   "Dimensions of Sacred Space in Japanese Popular Culture," Fourth International Conference on Cross-Cultural Communication, San Antonio, TX

1993   "Team-Teaching the Buddhist Traditions Course," with C. Mackenzie Brown, Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas, TX

1991   "Ritual Self-Mutilation in the History of Chinese Religions: A Comparative Approach," Faculty Symposium, Trinity University

1991   "Sectarian Pao-chüan and the Mediation of Culture: The Case of Lo Ch'ing's Five Books in Six Volumes," American Academy of Religion, Kansas City, MO

1991   "Ritual Self-Abuse in the History of Chinese Religions," Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas, TX

1990   "Chinese Religions: Orality, Vocalization, and Text," North American Association for the Study of Religion, New Orleans, LA

1990   "One Big Happy Family: The Social and Spiritual Egalitarianism of the Non-Action Sect of Patriach Lo," American Academy of Religion, Western Region, Oakland, CA

1988   "Research in the Field: Moral and Theoretical Issues in Cross-Cultural Understanding," Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

1988   "Confucian Attitudes towards Nature," Vivekananda Monastery, Fennville, MI

1987   "Study and Research in China and Taiwan," University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

1986   "On the Anthropological Study of Chinese Religion: The Case of the Unity Sect," University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

1986   "Popular Religion in Taiwan," Fulbright Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, Taipei, Taiwan

1986   "Birthday Celebrations of the Goddess Matsu," Inter-University Program in Chinese Language Studies, National Taiwan University, and the California Colleges Program in Chinese Studies, Taipei, Taiwan