Wayne Teasdale was a lay monk who combined the traditions of Christianity and Hinduism in the way of Christian Sannyasa. An activist and teacher in building common ground between religions, Teasdale served on the board of trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions. He was a member of the Monastic Inter-religious Dialogue and helped draft their Universal Declaration on Nonviolence. He was an adjunct professor at DePaul University, Columbia College, and the Catholic Theological Union, and coordinator of the Bede Griffiths International Trust. He was co-editor of The Community of Religions, with George Cairns, and the author of The Mystic Heart and dozens of articles on mysticism and religion. He held an M.A. in philosophy from St. Joseph College and a Ph.D. in theology from Fordham University. Wayne passed away in October 2004.