Sue Keck (back row)
What Led to This Special Visit to the Temple of ECK?
In early October 2025, Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ reached out to religious studies scholars to share news of the upcoming ECK leadership transition. Among the scholars was Dr. J. Gordon Melton, a preeminent scholar on new religious movements.
Dr. Melton responded, and as it turned out, said he and several colleagues would soon be in Minneapolis for the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. The meeting—which is held in a different city each year—hosts hundreds of religion scholars from around the world. Melton shared that he had already been planning to reach out to Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ about arranging a visit.
Sri Doug Kunin warmly greets Dr. Gordon Melton at the Temple of ECK.
Recognized Scholars in the Study of Religion
The group of scholars who visited the Temple of ECK included:
- Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Founder of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Baylor University (retired), and author of the Encyclopedia of American Religions.
- Professor Susan Palmer of Concordia University (Montreal, Canada)
- Professor Stuart Wright of Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas)
- Professor Helen Berger of Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
A Dialogue on Modern Spirituality
While at the Temple, the scholars conversed with Sri Doug Kunin, the spiritual leader of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, about the ECK teachings and spirituality in the modern age.
They visited the sanctuary, the chapel, and classrooms, enjoying the art gallery, and studying the art-and-quote displays on the Temple walls. As a follow-up to their visit, Melton later sent a note of gratitude for “the most delightful visit that my colleagues and I had to the ECK Temple last week. We all relished our time there.”
The visit that Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ hosted reflects great mutual respect for the world’s diverse spiritual paths.
