SOMA, Japan -- Buddhist priests burned incense and chanted yesterday for Japan's tsunami victims, marking the 49th day since the disaster and closing the period when the dead were believed to be ...

Could an android priest re-energize interest in Buddhism? It may seem like an out there move, but a 400-year-old Japanese temple has brought in a robot named Mindar to preach sermons. The adult-sized ...

(RNS) — In a dimly lit Roman Catholic church in Manhattan, a dozen or so congregants sit as the Rev. Michael Holleran leads them in contemplative prayer. There is some singing, and some prayers said ...

TOKYO (Reuters) - The hum of conversation and the clinking of spoons and coffee cups fills the wood-panelled cafe in a fashionable Tokyo neighbourhood as more than a dozen customers sip drinks and ...

With Buddhist institutions and followers in Japan in decline, a Japanese priest and scholar is turning to artificial intelligence to revive spiritual engagement, an initiative drawing more interest ...