An alumnus of the University of Hawai‘i, Jay received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Stirling in Scotland, where his research focused on contemporary Japanese religions. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, journals, and books. Jay is Professor of Religion at Leeward Community College and a lecturer at UH Manoa, where he teaches various religion courses, including those related to Christianity and Japanese religions. Jay also writes a column on religion in the MidWeek newspaper called, “Misfit Spirit.”