Sightings Articles
Was It Kavanaugh’s Guilty Conscience, or His Karma?
Surely, for those who are aware that Brett Kavanaugh was a key architect—one of the main authors—of the Starr Report, the following was one of the richest moments in this recent spectacle of hypocrisies: “This is a circus. The consequences will ...
October 25, 2018
In Memory of Steven Collins
Steven Collins (1951-2018) was Chester D. Tripp Professor in the Humanities in the University of Chicago’s Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and in the Divinity School’s History of Religions program. A world-renowned scholar of t...
March 1, 2018
Visiting a Fellow Human at the Benedictine Monastery
Nearly 15 years ago I watched a line of young men file out of a Buddhist temple near the sacred Chinese mountain of Putuo. Then, as now, I had a naive belief in the power of spiritual exercises, if not the spirits to which they are often dedicated. M...
September 7, 2017
When It Comes to Gender Equality, Religion in Japan Lags Behind
Religion in Japan still lags far behind Japanese politics when it comes to gender equality. The World Assembly for Women (WAW!) convened in Tokyo last August, and, although it focused on the protection of women against violence and discrimination,...
January 7, 2016
Vivid in "Indra and Heavenly Dragon General:" The Korean People's Trust in Buddhist Deities
Buddhism became an everyday religion in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) after thriving as the National Religion supported by royal families and aristocrats during the earlier Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). However, because Joseon-Dynasty p...
September 24, 2015
Japanese Religions and the Issue of "Comfort Women"
Last month, Japan marked the 70 years which have passed since its World War II surrender to Allied Powers in 1945. Less known is that twenty-four years have passed since former Japanese military “comfort women” came forward for the first time and sue...