Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus

Jay Williams '54's specialty is the philosophy of religion, and in that area he has published two books, The Riddle of the Sphinx (1990) and A Reassessment of Absolute Skepticism and Religious Faith (1996). A prolific author, he has explored the thought of both West and East, writing about the ancient Hebrews, Jesus and Jewish history, as well as a previously unknown gospel from China’s Tang dynasty. Williams has served as director of Hamilton’s Asian Studies Program and has taught more than 30 courses ranging from “The History of Western Religious Thought” to “The World of Zen.” He recently completed a book exploring the life and work of cartoonist Thomas Nast. He earned his master of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and his doctorate from Columbia University.