What inspired you to write Buddhism, Politics and Political Thought in Myanmar ? My interest in the subject began back in 2002, during my first trip to Myanmar. Along with a friend, I had signed up…
A recent Fox News headline, “Americans who Practice Yoga Contribute to White Supremacy, Michigan State University Professor Claims,” dangled like red meat before its readers, begging them to snap…
This is how quickly it happened. One moment we were passing sumptuous kebob platters around the table making polite introductions, and the next we were swapping trauma stories that we—all people of…
Revelations abound. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires crowd the news, alongside genocide, terrorism, and rogue state tests of intercontinental missiles and the nuclear warheads with which to arm…
What inspired you to write Consuming Religion? Restlessness. After I finished my first book, I realized quickly that I left several major questions without satisfying answers. First, why does…
It looks like Megyn Kelly’s interview with Alex Jones will go forward on NBC this weekend. I am sympathetic to those who think this mainstream exposure will help to legitimize Jones but, at the same…
When the preeminent historian, Ainslie Embree, died last week at age 96, he was lauded for his contributions to our understanding of South Asian history and politics, but what was often overlooked was…
Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag design that has become a symbol of the LGBT movement worldwide, died on March 31 in New York City. March 31 was also International Transgender Day of…
Maps allow for a kind of immersive wandering, yet at the same time reminding us of our distance from that which we contemplate—this is an essential caution for considering any maps of American religion