Schedule of Events

“Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, is inextricably linked to the Japanese experience, and forms the basis of Japanese peoples’ unique relationship to the environment.” Some version of this narrative—the Establishment Narrative—is found on travel websites, taught in Japanese schools, and spread by prominent Shinto interest groups such as the national Association of Shinto Shrines (NAS) and the International Shinto Foundation.
The Shinto institution, headed by the NAS, is deeply intertwined with the Japanese nationalist far-right lobby both politically and financially. These interest groups believe that a return to the state-sanctioned Shinto of the pre-World War II era would ‘revive’ the nation to its former glory.
This project seeks to problematize the Establishment Narrative in the context of the relationship between Japanese national politics and the Shinto institution, while drawing a distinction between the everyday experience of practitioners—what we might call ‘lived religion’—and the national-level institution of Shinto. 
By looking at historical and political continuities from the pre-war period, this project argues that the ethnonationalist ideology of State Shinto has never been completely dismantled, but rather watered down in narratives like the Establishment Narrative and continues to be prevalent both domestically in Japan and internationally.

Guilt and shame are psychological issues that can keep a person stuck in a mental prison long after their initiating circumstances. Understanding how religious traditions deal with these heavy burdens is important, especially in a world that is quick to punish failure instead of offering a pathway through it. In this presentation we will examine how Reformed Christianity and early Theravada Buddhism each address guilt and shame, noting both similarities and differences. Using a comparative textual analysis, this presentation compares Calvin’s doctrine of grace (“other-power”) with Buddhaghosa’s insight meditation (“self-power”). In addition, we will discuss the Prodigal Son in the Bible and the story of Angulimala in the Suttas as classic reference points of how these traditions approach guilt and shame: through Jesus Christ in the former and rigorous mindfulness discipline in the latter. Ultimately, this presentation will demonstrate that even though these ancient traditions have different directionalities, both share a crucial similarity: dismantling the ego to aid in the removal of guilt and shame. 

Interfaith ministry, such as hospital chaplaincy, is expected to provide spiritual care for people of diverse backgrounds, at different points in their lives, and facing the most difficult human questions. Interfaith comparative work is a practice of looking at a range of religious texts, and the interpretive traditions associated with them, and watching for where the contextual understandings harmonize and where they diverge. The diverse wealth of wisdom found within these ancient texts is a natural source of human insights for spiritual care providers.


The goal of this project is to reveal the value of interfaith comparative scholarship; in particular, to show how a broad knowledge of religious traditions can help prepare one for situations in interfaith chaplaincy. I want to show how ancient scriptural texts, and their associated interpretations from classical Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scholars, are a source of unique and valuable insights into universal human concerns.


The majority of this research was exploring the Joseph story in the Bible and Qur’an, and in subsequent Jewish, Christian, and Islamic interpretive traditions. After discerning and classifying prominent lessons conveyed through the Joseph story and its interpretations, I applied my research findings to the questions, concerns, and responses that come up in contemporary chaplaincy case studies related to interfaith spiritual care.

This research promotes the respectful, decolonized decriminalization of psilocybin by honoring its cross-cultural relevance, therapeutic safety, and sacred origins. Psilocybin mushrooms, with over 100 known species worldwide, have been used for thousands of years in both healing and spiritual contexts, yet colonial suppression repeatedly forced their use underground. The project builds upon existing literature to explore the intersection of psychology, religion, and psychedelics, drawing from sources in religious studies, psychology, and neurobiology. Clinical studies highlight benefits for depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use, and trauma. Indigenous frameworks emphasize reciprocity, ancestral knowledge, and sacred knowledge. By comparing these perspectives, the project demonstrates how Western science reduces sacred practices to clinical applications, how Christian-influenced culture contributed to moral panic surrounding psychedelics, and how Indigenous knowledge systems, which preserve sacred wisdom, have been marginalized and harmed by these groups. The main result of this work is to reduce stigma surrounding psychedelics and educate others on their historical and religious importance to promote access and decriminalization. This research is important because it broadens our understanding of the relationship between religion and plant medicine, while also acknowledging their therapeutic potential to heal spiritually, psychologically, and neurologically.