His eclectic awareness of the importance of a diversity of world religions, far ahead of its time, encompassed Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Taoism.
He founded the Seminars in World Religion at Columbia University, was active in the Gurdjieff Foundation, and organized the first conference on Buddhist thinker Dogen ever held in the United States.
For a time he was involved with the American Forum for Socialist Education, but his primary affiliations were with the Fellowship of Reconciliation and War Resisters League.
Honored guest speakers included Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr., and A. J. Muste.
His philosophical papers are included in the archive of Annie Finch in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.