Carl Olson is professor emeritus of religious studies at Allegheny College. Besides over 240 reviews and essays published in scholarly journals and book anthologies, he is the author of twenty-three books, including: The Stain of Erro on the Self (2024); The Nostalgia for Origins: Religion, Evolution, Cognition, and Memory (2024); Religious Ways of Experiencing Life (2016); and Indian Asceticism (2015). Olson has been awarded the National Endowment for the Humanities chair; The Teacher-Scholar Professorship of the Humanities; and Visiting Fellowship at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge.
""Carl Olson insightfully examines and explores many different aspects of Zen theory and practice, including meditative discipline, poetic language, monastic rules, and unusual teaching methods, from a fascinating lens that focuses on the role of playful discourse. This book is well suited for use in college classrooms as an accessible introduction to how Zen has developed a uniquely creative approach yet remains linked to other worldwide spiritual traditions."" --Steven Heine, professor of religious studies and history, Florida International University