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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

New Books in Indian Religions

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

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 weeklyEpisodes636Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Religion & SpiritualityHinduism

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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

Latest Episodes

Tamil Śiva Temples, Āgamas, and Śivabrāhmaṇas/Ādiśaivas addresses the issue of whether members of all castes can become priests in Tamil Śiva temples. The history of the Śivabrāhmaṇas or Ādiśaivas as priests in Tamil Śiva temples is described using t... more

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines

how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth

to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were... more

Why has the Catholic Church in India become so engaged in environmental initiatives? And what does the wider Indian political context defined by an assertive Hindu nationalism mean for the ability of church actors to pursue environmental agendas? In ... more

Communities of Sound: Religion, Displacement, and Caste in the Bay of Bengal (Wesleyan University Press, 2026) brings

together insights from religion, anthropology, sound, and migration

studies to explore the sonic traces of untouchability and for... more

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Recent Guests

Nihar Gokhale
Researcher focusing on Goa environmentalism and Christian environmentalism
Independent scholar / Goa-based researcher
Episode: Christian Environmentalism in a Hindu Majoritarian Context
Kenneth Bo Nielsen
Researcher examining church engagement with environmental issues in Goa
Academic researcher
Episode: Christian Environmentalism in a Hindu Majoritarian Context
Anna Lee White
Co-editor of Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions, Studying Stotras
Co-editor, Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions, Studying Stotras
Episode: Hamsa Stainton and Anna Lee White, "Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions: Studying Stotras" (Routledge, 2026)
Dr. Hamsa Stainton
Co-editor of Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions, Studying Stotras
Co-editor, Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions, Studying Stotras
Episode: Hamsa Stainton and Anna Lee White, "Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions: Studying Stotras" (Routledge, 2026)
Carola Loria
Professor and author of Communities of Sound
Wesleyan University Press
Episode: Carola E. Lorea, "Communities of Sound: Religion, Displacement, and Caste in the Bay of Bengal" (Wesleyan UP, 2026)
Manasicha Akepiyapornchai
Author of Surrender to God Across Languages, Multilingual Intellectual History of Pre-Modern India
Oxford University Press / Roche Indology series
Episode: Manasicha Akepiyapornchai, "Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Amrita Chowdhury
Co-author of Baidehisha Bilasa
Wide Open Window Press / author
Episode: Amrita Chowdhury and Ujaan Ghosh trans., "Baidehisha Bilasa: The Amorous Plays of Sita’s Husband" (Wide Open Window Books, 2025)
Ujaan Ghosh
Co-author of Baidehisha Bilasa
University/academic collaborator
Episode: Amrita Chowdhury and Ujaan Ghosh trans., "Baidehisha Bilasa: The Amorous Plays of Sita’s Husband" (Wide Open Window Books, 2025)
Patrick McCartney
Author of Sanskrit Speaking Villages, Linguistic Utopias, and the Metaphysics of Development
Routledge
Episode: Patrick S. D. McCartney, "Sanskrit-Speaking' Villages, Linguistic Utopias and the Metaphysics of Development" (Routledge, 2026)

Host

Raj Balker
Host of the podcast; appears across multiple episodes guiding scholarly conversations.

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 States6 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the host for a thoughtful, curious interviewing style and engaging dialogue.
One listener criticizes the speaking style of a guest; overall feedback highlights depth of content.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Manasicha Akepiyapornchai, "Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Q: If folks were to take one thing away, what do you most hope folks would take away from it?
The central takeaway is that a more comprehensive story emerges when we study language and doctrine together across multilingual traditions, rather than limiting analysis to a single linguistic sphere or tradition; multilingual, micro-historical inquiry reveals the drivers of self-surrender and doctrinal development.
The Diasporic Hindu Right with Savera
Q: Could you walk us through what you mean by the American Sangh and how it functions as a network in the US?
The American Sangh is a diffuse, networked offshoot of the Hindutva movement in the US, not a single organization, with nodes across organizations that share the broader goal of Hindutva while operating through diverse, diaspora-connected activities.
Kanika Singh, "The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Q: How would you describe the museum's role in shaping community memory and national belonging?
Kanika Singh argues that the museum blends religious reverence and political memory, using visual history and public display to forge an emotional connect and a shared Khalsa identity, while also highlighting contested aspects and the broader context of Sikh history in independent India.
Kanika Singh, "The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Q: What drew you to Bhai Mati Das Museum as a site of study?
The interviewee explains it began from a chance encounter and a longstanding interest in Sikh museums, leading to the Bhai Mati Das Museum becoming a focal case study due to its location, its connections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, and its embodiment of how Sikh history is publicly memory-worked through visuals.
Shyam Ranganathan, "Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026)
Q: What practical changes does the author propose for decolonizing philosophy in academia?
Proposals include reframing rationality beyond language-bound notions, recognizing indigenous epistemologies, altering translation practices, and restructuring academic institutions to reduce interpretive dominance and encourage genuine engagement with non-Western philosophical traditions.

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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?

Scholarly conversations center on South Asian religions, philosophy, and cultural history, with a strong emphasis on primary texts, translation, and methodological debates. Episodes feature academics and editors discussing recent books and projects—from decolonial approaches to ethics and Indology, to Manusmriti commentary, yoga philosophy, Tamil studies, and the ecology of sacred sites and mantras. A notable throughline is bridging traditional textual analysis with contemporary concerns—translation, pedagogy, public engagement, and diaspora perspectives—often highlighting interdisciplinary methods and cross-cultural dialogue. The format tends to blend rigorous scholarly analysis with accessible storytelling, including author insights, edit... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with New Books in Indian Religions:

1. Bhagavad Gita - Swami Sarvapriyananda
2. In Our Time
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. The LRB Podcast
5. The Daily

How many episodes of New Books in Indian Religions are there?

New Books in Indian Religions launched 12 years ago and published 636 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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What guests have appeared on New Books in Indian Religions?

Recent guests on New Books in Indian Religions include:

1. Nihar Gokhale
2. Kenneth Bo Nielsen
3. Anna Lee White
4. Dr. Hamsa Stainton
5. Carola Loria
6. Manasicha Akepiyapornchai
7. Amrita Chowdhury
8. Ujaan Ghosh

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