ISE Experiencing the World's Religions, 8th Edition

Michael Molloy has dedicated his life to the study of religion. His fascination began with an interest in the architecture of temples, mosques, churches, and shrines, and experiencing ceremonies in those places led to a love of religious music and art. In his early graduate work, he focused on the imagery of clouds and darkness in mystical literature. For his doctoral work, he examined the mystical thought of Aldous Huxley, influenced by Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, interviewing Huxley’s wife Laura, his sister-in-law, and friends.

Molloy received a grant from the East-West Center in Hawaii and earned his doctorate from the University of Hawaii. He studied in Japan with Abe Masao in Kyoto and with Sobharani Basu at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. He practiced Zen meditation at Bushinji in Shikoku and later received a certificate from the Oomoto School of Traditional Japanese Arts in Kameoka, Japan. He has written Experiencing the World’s Religions and The Christian Experience. Currently, he is writing a memoir of his grandparents and parents and their religious background.

Molloy has taught many philosophy and religion courses, including World Religions, Asian Philosophies, Western Mysticism, Greek and Roman Philosophy, Ethics, Nietzsche, Religion and the Meaning of Existence, and Indian Philosophy. He is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawai`i.

To complement his academic work, he has had three exhibitions of his paintings—”Landscapes of the Mind,” “Luminous Darkness,” and “Renaissance.” He co-directed two radio series of interviews with musicians, writers, and artists on KAIM-FM and Hawai`i Public Radio. He worked on the Inari Shrine Preservation Committee to move the shrine to a new location and then to renovate it.