Nathan (he/they) has more than two decades experience both studying and practicing Japanese religions. He is currently a postdoc research fellow at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, specializing in research on contemporary Japanese religion and Buddhist chaplaincy and crisis care. Nathan has a PhD in Cultural and Historical Studies in Religion as well as a MDiv in Buddhist chaplaincy and a MA in Comparative Religion. Nathan was previously a Fulbright Fellow at Tohoku University in Sendai studying the formation of Japanese chaplaincy programs and volunteering with survivors of the 3.11 disaster. He is the editor of volumes such as "Refuge in the Storm: Buddhist Voices in Crisis Care," and has authored numerous other works.

Nathan is also ordained as a priest in the Shingon Buddhist tradition (Vajrayana), where he received the Dharma name "Jishin," and previously spent several years training in both Zen and Thai Forest Tradition. Earlier on in his career, Nathan also studied peace and conflict transformation in Austria and interned at PATRIR (Peace Action and Training Institute of Romania), where individuals from conflict zones and the UN train in nonviolent intervention methods. Nathan loves being in Kyoto, surrounded by the incredibly deep history and culture, as well as its beautiful mountains. He enjoys meditation, exploring the ins and outs of local cultures and historical sites throughout Japan, hiking through the mountains, and even engaging in traditional Japanese ascetic trainings.