Aloysius Pieris
Aloysius Pieris SJ (born 9 April 1934) is a Sri Lankan Jesuit priest, theologian, intellect, and the founding director of the Tulana Research Center for Encounter and Dialogue. Biography Aloysius Pieris was born in Ampitiya, Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). He was a brilliant student during his days at the prestigious, St. Aloysius' College, Galle. After responding to his call to be a priest of God, the young Aloysius took his Jesuit vows in 1953. Pieris has three theological degrees, an LPh from Sacred Heart College in Shembaganur, India (1959), STL from the Pontifical Theological Faculty in Naples (1966), and a Th.D. from Tilburg University (1987). Pieris also has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London (1961) and a Ph.D. in Buddhist philosophy from the University of Sri Lanka (1971). He has held academic posts as Franciscan Chair in Mission Studies at Washington Theological Union, Henry Luce Chair of World Christianity at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and A. P. Wilson Distinguished Visiting Chair of Theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School. In June 1974, Pieris established the Tulana Research Center for Encounter and Dialogue in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and has been its director ever since. Tulana was created