Workshop on Bengali Vaishnavism

www.ochs.org.uk/research/bengali-vaishnavism-modern-period-workshop

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies will be hosting an international workshop on the theme ‘Bengali Vaishnavism in the Modern Period’ at Worcester College, Oxford, on 28–29 March, 2015. The workshop aims to bring together leading scholars and early-career researchers working on Bengali Vaishnavism across the disciplines to explore the tradition during the pivotal ‘modern’ phase of its development (roughly, mid-eighteenth to mid-twentieth century).

The workshop will also officially launch the OCHS research project ‘Bengal Vaishnavism in the Modern Period’. Vaishnavism inspired by the Bengali Krishna devotee Chaitanya (1486-1533) has been a central feature of the religious and cultural landscape of Bengal. It has also had significant impact on other regions of the subcontinent, and more recently has assumed a global presence.

Recent years have seen increasing scholarly interest in the tradition during the modern phase of its development. This is an important area of study, not simply for facilitating a more complete picture of the tradition itself, but also for enriching our understanding of the dynamics of religion in modern South Asia more broadly.

For further information about the workshop, including the preliminary programme and abstracts, please go to: www.ochs.org.uk/research/bengali-vaishnavism-modern-period-workshop

The workshop is open to all. Although there is no fee, registration is required. To register, please write to the workshop secretary (lucian.wong@theology.ox.ac.uk) by 18 March.