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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

New Books in Indian Religions

Marshall Poe
Hinduism
Buddhism
Yoga
Sanskrit
Mahabharata
Caste
Islam
Jainism
India
Ashoka
Hindu Nationalism
Bhagavad Gita
Colonialism
Dharma
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Christianity
Indian History
Material Culture
Ramayana

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes648Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HinduismReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

Latest Episodes

Mahatma Gandhi was an anticolonial activist, lawyer, and politician. Less famously, but no less importantly, he was also a back-to-the-land farmer, a founder of communes, and a seeker of utopia. Living with Gandhi: Experiments in Utopia tells the st... more

These Upanisads (c. 800-300 BCE) are almost always read from the point of view of the later Vedantins, but they do not share in the neatly tailored characteristics of the mature Vedantic philosophies, representing, instead, divergent, variegated and ... more

Uses the everyday histories of Brahmin clans, communities, and families in a prominent small town in the Indian Himalaya to challenge the assumption that only grand metanarratives such as colonialism and nationalism matter. This everyday history of c... more

Amid global dialogue on the nature of human enhancement, this book traces humanity's pursuit of self-transcendence and enhancement from ancient times to the present, as reflected in diverse traditions across the globe. Transhumanism and Divine Humani... more

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Recent Guests

James D. Ryan
Professor Emeritus at the California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies
Episode: James D. Ryan, "The Upanisads as They Are: Brhadaranyaka, Chandogya, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Kausitaki" (Bloomsbury, 2026)
Anway Mukhopadhyay
Co-author of the book, scholar in Indian traditions
University affiliation referenced in conversation
Episode: Tatjana Kochetkova and Anway Mukhopadhyay eds., "Transhumanism and Divine Humanity in Global Traditions" (Routledge, 2026)
Tatjana Kochetkova
Co-author of the book, scholar in Indian traditions
University affiliation referenced in conversation
Episode: Tatjana Kochetkova and Anway Mukhopadhyay eds., "Transhumanism and Divine Humanity in Global Traditions" (Routledge, 2026)
Theo Wildcroft
Co-author of Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras
Author, Yoga Nidra expert
Episode: Theo Wildcroft and Beverley Nolan, "Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras: A Yoga Teacher's Guide" (Singing Dragon, 2026)
Beverley Nolan
Co-author of Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras
Author, Yoga Nidra educator
Episode: Theo Wildcroft and Beverley Nolan, "Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras: A Yoga Teacher's Guide" (Singing Dragon, 2026)
Aleksandar Uskokov
Author of Deciphering the Hidden Meaning, Language and the Highest Good in Early Advaita Vedanta
University of Chicago (PhD) / Author
Episode: Aleksandar Uskokov, "Deciphering the Hidden Meaning: Language and the Highest Good in Early Advaita Vedānta" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Utathya Chattopadhyaya
Author of Ganja Matters, Empire and the Pursuits of Cannabis in British India
University of California Press
Episode: Utathya Chattopadhyaya, "Ganja Matters: Empire and the Pursuits of Cannabis in British India" (U California Press, 2026)
James Lochtefeld
Author of God's Own Land, Professor
Author, Garhwal studies
Episode: James Lochtefeld, "God’s Own Land: Sacred Landscape, Pilgrim Economy and Religious Change in the Ganga Himalaya" (Lever Press, 2026)
Edward TG. Anderson
Professor of History, specialist in Indian diaspora, transnational politics, Hindutva and Hindu nationalism
Northumbria University, UK
Episode: Edward T. G. Anderson, "Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism" (Oxford UP, 2024)

Host

Raj Balakrishnan
Host of the network channel focused on Indian religions; long-running host with expertise in South Asian textual studies

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • My first review

    I was compelled to express my appreciation for this podcast. Ran Balkaran has such a soothing smart voice and open curiosity that each interview is a deep conversation, real dialogue, and fun exploration.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LatinaYogi
    United States5 years ago
  • Jennifer B. Saunders Is Ear Grating

    I only listened to one episode before I unsubscribed. Jennifer B. Saunders has the most broken speech I’ve ever heard for someone qualified and educated. She says um like every other word, come on. Speak better, your voice is so slow, and the “um”s need to stop.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Kata R
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests praise the depth and rigor of conversations and the opportunity to discuss recent scholarly works.
Overall sentiment skews positive about scholarly value and intellectual curiosity.
A few listeners highlight variance in pacing or delivery across episodes, with some voices described as very analytical.
Some listeners note a highly dialogic, exploratory interview style that can feel like a deep-dive academic seminar.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Theo Wildcroft and Beverley Nolan, "Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras: A Yoga Teacher's Guide" (Singing Dragon, 2026)
Q: Who's this for? Is this for those who teach, or a broader audience?
The book is designed to be accessible to beginners who want to learn how to lead yoga nidra and also offers depth for experienced teachers, providing foundational knowledge, practical guidance, and opportunities to reframe existing practices.
Utathya Chattopadhyaya, "Ganja Matters: Empire and the Pursuits of Cannabis in British India" (U California Press, 2026)
Q: What happened during the 1916 ganja workers' strike and why is it significant?
The strike disrupted the cultivation cycle, forcing colonial authorities to confront debt cycles and the influence of cooperatives, ultimately leading to a reformulation of how ganja was produced, taxed, and financed in the region, with long-term social and economic effects.
James Lochtefeld, "God’s Own Land: Sacred Landscape, Pilgrim Economy and Religious Change in the Ganga Himalaya" (Lever Press, 2026)
Q: What is the author's key takeaway about pilgrimage versus tourism, and what does the book argue readers should understand about these practices?
The book argues that distinctions between pilgrimage and tourism are often artificial; people bring diverse backgrounds and motivations to sacred sites, and understanding this helps in studying the economic and cultural dynamics of pilgrimage without reductive labels.
James Lochtefeld, "God’s Own Land: Sacred Landscape, Pilgrim Economy and Religious Change in the Ganga Himalaya" (Lever Press, 2026)
Q: How does the author view the relationship between myth, narrative, and lived religious practice in these landscapes?
The author argues that narratives, whether called myth or story, are lived and felt as real by people in sacred spaces, shaping consciousness before pilgrims even step onto the soil and influencing how they experience pilgrimage.
Edward T. G. Anderson, "Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Q: Would you delimit your study to the UK diaspora or take a wider global lens, and how does the transnational approach change the findings?
While the UK is a primary focus, the book adopts a transnational lens to show how Hindutva operates across nodes beyond the homeland. This approach reveals intra-diaspora interactions, diverse affiliations, and how diaspora actors connect with or distance themselves from homeland organizations, leading to a more nuanced understanding of global Hindutva beyond a single-country perspective.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Indian Religions

What is New Books in Indian Religions about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This channel features scholarly conversations around recent scholarly works in South Asian religion, philosophy, ethics, and textual studies. Episodes commonly center on translations, editorial history, and methodological approaches to ancient texts; they often explore how religious traditions, ethics, and ritual practices intersect with broader cultural, political, and historical contexts. Notable differentiators include a strong emphasis on open-access publishing models, cross-disciplinary methods, and a focus on how language, textual transmission, and tradition shape interpretation for contemporary audiences. The conversation style tends to be rigorous yet accessible, with guest scholars presenting their work and answering questions that... more

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New Books in Indian Religions launched 12 years ago and published 648 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Recent guests on New Books in Indian Religions include:

1. James D. Ryan
2. Anway Mukhopadhyay
3. Tatjana Kochetkova
4. Theo Wildcroft
5. Beverley Nolan
6. Aleksandar Uskokov
7. Utathya Chattopadhyaya
8. James Lochtefeld

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