Dr. Karen Pechilis led a group of researchers in mapping the historical religions new to the American context in northern and central New Jersey. Their work began in 1999 and with an emphasis on communities that had built, or were currently engaged in building, houses of worship. The project focused on Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism and explored issues of community and identity in these traditions in the American context. Issues of the continuity with tradition and the challenge to traditional formulations as well as the American context informed the inquiry. A group of six academics at Drew University constituted the core working group for this study, including:

• Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, Professor of Ecumenical Theology/Inter-religious understanding
• Dr. Dorothy Austin, Associate Professor of Psychology and Religion/Buddhism
• Dr. Christopher Taylor, Associate Professor of Religion/Islam
• Dr. Karen Pechilis, Assistant Professor of Religion/Hinduism and Asian Religions
• Paul Dodenhoff, Ph.D. candidate in Theological and Religious Studies/Sikhism
• Indira Govindan, director of University Research and Budget Director/Hindu life, Ph.D. candidate in Religion

Selected Links and Publications

• Report: New Jersey: Religious Pluralism in the Northern and Central Suburbs, Karen Pechilis (1999) [.pdf]
• Report: The Pattern of Hinduism and Hindu Temple Building in the U.S., Karen Pechilis (1999) [.pdf]
• Report: Making of a Hindu Temple: A Case Study of Sri Venkateswara Temple, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Indira Govindan, researched as part of doctoral work at Drew University (2000) [.pdf]
• Article: "Dialogue and Spirituality: Can We Pray Together?," Wesley S. Ariarajah in Not Without My Neighbor: Issues in Interfaith Relations (Geneva: World Council of Churches), pp. 26–58. (1999) [.pdf]