Charles Preston
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
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Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica. He earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from Pomona College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He held teaching and administrative posts before joining Encyclopædia Britannica in 2024.
Primary Contributions (59)
Mantra, in Asian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, a sacred utterance (syllable, word, or verse) that is considered to possess mystical or religious efficacy. Various mantras are spoken aloud, muttered, or merely sounded internally in one’s thoughts, and they are either repeated continuously…
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