About Jeff Wilson

Jeff Wilson is an ordained minister in the Hongwanji-ha tradition of Shin Buddhism and a professor of religious studies and East Asian studies at Renison University College, University of Waterloo. He has published pioneering research on the history of same-sex wedding ceremonies in North America and is the author of Buddhism of the Heart and Mindful America.

Amida Buddha Welcomes All Refugees

by Jeff Wilson| November 22, 2019

Jeff Wilson explains how the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism emerged from the refugee experiences of its two Japanese founders.

The Path of Gratitude

by Jeff Wilson| November 1, 2019

The goal of Shin Buddhism’s central practice, nembutsu, is not to attain buddhahood for ourselves, says Jeff Wilson, but to express gratitude for all we have received.

Commentary: Why I’m Not Attending Conferences in the USA

by Jeff Wilson| December 18, 2018

After the Muslim ban was instituted, Buddhist scholar and priest Jeff Wilson vowed to renounce his attendance at conferences in the USA. As a society, he says, it is imperative that we stop hiding behind borders.