Or Porath

Dr. Or Porath is an Assistant Professor at Tel Aviv University's Department of East Asian Studies, specializing in Buddhist Studies and Japanese religions. His research focuses on medieval Japanese Buddhism, particularly the Tendai school, monasticism, and the intersection of sexuality with religious practices. He is the Vice-President of the Society for the Study of Japanese Religions and an associate editor of Japanese Religions.

Porath earned his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2019), and previously taught at the University of Chicago (2019–2021) and Leiden University (2022–2023). His book project, The Dharma of Sex: Initiation, Deification, and Passion in Medieval Japanese Buddhism, examines the ritualization of male-male sexuality within Tendai doctrine.

Key research areas include the 'consecration of acolytes' (Chigo Kanjō), medieval Japanese monastic society, and the religious rationalization of war and tragedy. His work bridges art history, literature, and religious studies, as seen in his analysis of the Aki no yo no naga monogatari scroll.

Publications include articles in Journal of Religion in Japan, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, and co-edited volumes like Rituals of Initiation and Consecration in Premodern Japan.