Barbara O’Brien, raised in the Ozarks amid revivalist traditions, developed a lifelong fascination with religious history. Drawn to academic perspectives on how faiths originate and evolve, she has spent decades studying and writing about world religions. A formal Zen student since 1988, Barbara is the author of The Circle of the Way, a history of Zen Buddhism, and has written for major Buddhist publications. InThe Religious History Nerd, she explores how religious traditions shape—and are shaped by—history, providing insight into faith’s complex and enduring impact on the world today.
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