My scholarship focuses on understanding how early-modern and modern works in the study of Buddhism are received and understood within their historical context. I explore how these works interact with both specific historical events and broader, universal concerns. Through my work, I aim to unveil the persistent and perhaps unexpected recurrence of early-modern and modern theories about Buddhist thought and practice in both popular culture and academic discourse today. By discussing the narrative afterlife of these early works, I shed light on how British and French Enlightenment ideas continue to hold relevance, and I also highlight the ways in which their political impact has endured over time.