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Thomas B. Ellis is Professor of Religion in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Appalachian State University (Boone, NC). Having published a book on the life and work of the twentieth century Hindu philosopher, Jarava Lal Mehta, Ellis’s current research pursues psychological and biological explanations of religion. Along these lines, Ellis has published “Disgusting Bodies, Disgusting Religion: The Biology of Tantra” and “Evoked Puja: The Behavioral Ecology of an Equatorial Ritual,” both of which appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion. He is currently working on a book-length manuscript on religion, disease and immunology.