As interest in religion wanes around the world, and secularism surges, religious leaders have begun searching for innovative ways to spread their message and connect with potential adherents. In the United States, some churches have relaxed dress codes, revamped worship spaces and churned out sermons that place less emphasis on sin, all while embracing Instagram and refashioning faith as a lifestyle brand. In Japan -- where low fertility rates and an aging population are reducing religious affiliation -- Buddhist priests have been warning for more than a decade that their ancient tradition risks extinction. To reverse course, a Kyoto temple has settled on a new plan for connecting with the masses, one that channels ancient wisdom through the technology of the future. Its name is "Mindar," a mostly aluminum androgynous robotic priest who gives plain-spoken sermons that are designed to stimulate interest in Buddhist teachings, according to the machine's designers. Although the robot preaches, it is not programmed to converse with worshipers, though its sermons are translated to English and Chinese on a nearby wall, creators say.

For centuries, the three faces of the Ashura Buddha have looked out from inside the Kofukuji Temple in the ancient Japanese city of Nara. But when devotees and scholars gaze back, what do they see? Or, at least, what do they think they see? Long and thin with six arms and three heads, the 1,200-year-old masterpiece is both revered as an object of faith and admired as a work of art. It's even been officially classified as a national treasure.