Charles Hallisey aims to answer the question "Who was the Buddha?" by examining the life of Gautama, who is credited with founding the Buddhist movement. Gautama lived 2,500 years ago and is the inspiration behind modern Buddhist thought. Not only does Hallisey focus on Gautama's historical identity, he also offers insight as to Gautama's impact on Buddhism today. This article is part of a series, "Fathers of Faith," also available as a collection from The World & I Online.