Professor Erin Cline specializes in Chinese philosophy, Chinese religions, and comparative philosophy and theology. The author of five books, she is interested in how the virtues, values, and rituals that classical Chinese philosophers emphasized can help us to live better lives today. Her book, The Analects: A Guide, offers an argument that the Confucian Analects a sacred text, exploring its often-neglected religious and spiritual dimensions. Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting: Ancient Chinese Philosophy and the Art of Raising Mindful, Resilient, and Compassionate Kids, shows how the wisdom of Chinese philosophy can enrich the lives of families today in a variety of surprising ways. Cline recently completed a new translation of the Confucian Analects (forthcoming from Liveright, 2026), and The Problem of God: The Challenges of Faith, Religion & Spirituality Today (forthcoming from Georgetown University Press, 2026).

Cline also works on Ignatian spirituality in relation to different religious and cultural traditions; her book, A World on Fire: Sharing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises with Other Religions, puts the Ignatian tradition into conversation with Asian traditions (including Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism), showing how and why the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises—though they are rooted in the Christian tradition—might be adapted for people from traditions other than Christianity who are interested in Ignatian spirituality.