On March 4-5, the Center hosted a small workshop, "Sacramental Presences: Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Daoist Perspectives." For two days we took up today's turn in comparative studies to ritual and liturgical practice as an important site for new learning that reaches beyond the study of texts and the exchange of ideas.

Convened by Matthew Potts and myself as members of the HDS faculty and Center, the participants included three other Harvard professors (Diana Eck, Kimberley Patton, Michelle Sanchez) and one Harvard doctoral student (Caley Smith), as well as ten professors from...