Western and Indian Ideas of Place Compared
June 2, 2026
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia intensely focused on maintaining the sanctity of the state’s territory and displaying it in spectacular temples and palaces. This focus on
Modernity in Ancient Mesopotamia
May 19, 2026
Nature wasn’t as kind to the area where early Mesopotamians built their first cities and great temples as it was to ancient Egypt. Deserts on
The Heart of the Mosque; Encounters with Muslim Piety in the Middle East
March 8, 2026
It was one of the most reckless things I’ve ever done overseas. I had read that Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has one of the world’s best
Promoting Peace in the Middle East through Culture
March 5, 2026
Flying over the Holy Land is dramatic, even at 35,000 feet. You see long stretches of tan with no other colors. No vegetation or clouds,
Comparisons of Chinese and Western Ways of Thinking about Emotion
February 8, 2026
A common definition of emotion according to Western Psychology is: A psychological system that appraises internal or external, context-related causes in terms of their significance
Jewels in the Jungles; Minority Cultures in Northern Thailand
February 1, 2026
My attraction to northern Thailand strengthened when I visited minority groups in the hills. Many non-Thai minorities live in northern Thailand, and they offer a
Why Gilgamesh Still Matters
December 26, 2025
Sumerians created a system of writing that was robust enough for literature more than 5,000 years ago. It was initially used to record inventories and
Many Worlds on Bangkok’s Streets
November 10, 2025
The first kings in Thailand’s new Chakri Dynasty grounded Bangkok in Thai traditions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by erecting monuments in
Many Worlds in a Place at Bangkok’s Wat Pho
November 2, 2025
Thais needed to rebuild their world after Burmese armies traumatized them by sacking Ayutthaya, the capital of their largest kingdom, in 1767. The first king
The Buddha’s Footprint at Bangkok’s Wat Pho; Prettier than Zeus and Indra Combined
September 30, 2025
Wat Pho is the second of the three monuments that the first Chakri kings established in Bangkok’s center to reaffirm traditional Thai ways of perceiving