As an undergraduate, Slingerland attended Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Languages (with distinction) in 1991.

[1] After earning a Masters of Arts in East Asian Languages (Classical Chinese) at the University of California, Berkeley, he returned to Stanford, where he completed his doctorate in Religious Studies under the supervision of Philip J.

[citation needed] From 1998 to 1999, Slingerland taught in the Religious Studies department of University of Colorado, Boulder.

[citation needed] From 1999 to 2005, he held a post at the University of Southern California with a joint appointment in the School of Religion and Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.

He has also authored and co-authored numerous academic articles, which have appeared in publications such as Nature, Ethics, the Annual Review of Psychology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.