The Religion of Anime | November 12, 2025
Tune in online for this cultural programming with Dr. Jolyon Thomas, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania for a fascinating deep dive into the world of anime's cultural roots, emotional impact, and the almost “religious” devotion it inspires among fans. Dr. Thomas will also be joined by JET alums Yuri Lowenthal (Shiga 1993-1995)- probably best recognized in the JET world for being the voice of Sasuke in the Naruto series, as well as Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-1999)- author, scholar, journalist and editor and internally recognized authority on Japanese pop culture and its interface with the West.
Whether you’re a lifelong anime enthusiast or curious about its global influence, this conversation will explore how animation can reveal deeper truths about belief, community, and human connection. Dr. Thomas will examine what he calls the “religion of anime,” uncovering how this medium helps us understand the sacred in unexpected ways.
Featuring special guests:
Dr. Jolyon Thomas
Yuri Lowenthal (Shiga, 1993-1995)
Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-1999)
Event Details:
Date: November 12, 7-8:30 PM ET
Price: General Admission: $15 | USJETAA Members: $0-10
Support USJETAA through a paid membership for free registration to this and future events!
Speakers Bios:
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Jolyon Thomas is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan (2012) and Faking Liberties: Religious Freedom in American-Occupied Japan (2019). He has also co-edited the New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions (2025) and has co-authored the forthcoming book Animating Action: Changing the World with Anime, Rituals and Robots. Thomas's research has been supported by the Social Science Research Council, the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, the Whiting Foundation, Fulbright-IIE, and the Crown Prince Akihito Foundation; his publications have won awards from the Association for the Academic Study of New Religions and the American Academy of Religion.
Thomas currently serves on the editorial boards of journals such as American Religion, the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, the Journal of Global Buddhism, and Nova Religio. He also serves as a Commissioner on the Japan-US Friendship Commission and as a Panelist on the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange.
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Roland Nozomu Kelts was a 1998-99 JET program participant in Osaka and is now an award-winning Japanese American author, journalist, scholar and editor. He is considered an authority on Japan's contemporary, pop and literary cultures and their unique points of interface with the West. He has been published widely in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, TIME, Newsweek, The Yomiuri, The Japan Times, The New Statesman and many others, and has been interviewed extensively on CNN, CBS, ABC, the BBC, NPR and NHK.
His acclaimed and bestselling first book, "Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the West," has been reissued several times and translated into several languages in Europe and Asia, including Japanese. His second book is "The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus," a book about the only anime series in the "Blade Runner" franchise.
Mr. Kelts remains active as a consultant for organizations in the US, Europe and Asia. He was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University and has taught at Columbia University, New York University and the University of Tokyo, and is currently Visiting Professor in Media, Culture & Society at Waseda University in Tokyo. He is developing two new documentary projects addressing contemporary Japanese pop culture and society, and one about his Japanese family's 363 year-old ancestral home in Iwate.
He divides his time between Tokyo and New York City.
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Yuri Lowenthal is an actor, writer and producer known primarily for his voice acting work in animation and video games. He plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the hit video game franchise MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN, Sasuke in the English language version of anime juggernaut NARUTO, and the titular Ben Tennyson on Cartoon Network's long-running BEN 10 series among others. He formed Monkey Kingdom Productions and BugBot Press with his wife and partner-in-crime Tara Platt, and has published the bestselling book on voice acting VOICE-OVER VOICE ACTOR and produced and starred in the groundbreaking live sci-fi series ORBITAL REDUX with Legendary Entertainment. He served as a JET CIR in Shiga Prefecture from 1993-1995 and considers it one of his most valuable experiences.
