Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard ... more Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard from Shirdi village in Maharashtra, India, is instantly recognizable to most South Asians (and many Westerners) as a guru for all faiths―Hindus, Muslims, and others. During his lifetime Sai Baba accepted all followers who came to him, regardless of religious or caste background, and preached a path of spiritual enlightenment and mutual tolerance. These days, tens of thousands of Indians and foreigners make the pilgrimage to Shirdi each year, and Sai Baba temples have sprung up in unlikely places around the world, such as Munich, Seattle, and Austin.
Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining―and enlightening―look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.
Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha,... more Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, or "Immortal Picture Stories," is also an important cultural institution that has helped define, for several generations of readers, what it means to be Hindu and Indian. Karline McLain worked in the ACK production offices and had many conversations with Anant Pai, founder and publisher, and with artists, writers, and readers about why the comics are so popular and what messages they convey. In this intriguing study, she explores the making of the comic books and the kinds of editorial and ideological choices that go into their production.
B. V. Narasimhaswami (1874–1956) never met Shirdi Sai Baba face to face, for he arrived in Shirdi... more B. V. Narasimhaswami (1874–1956) never met Shirdi Sai Baba face to face, for he arrived in Shirdi eighteen years after Sai Baba's death in 1918. However, the overwhelming sense of loving union he experienced in Shirdi convinced him that Sai Baba was still accessible from beyond the grave. For the remaining years of his life he worked relentlessly to spread Sai Baba's name throughout India. This article examines the tension between inclusion and exclusion in Narasimhaswami's interpretation of Sai Baba. Narasimhaswami believed that Sai Baba was a divinized guru with two interconnected missions: The spiritual uplift of individuals and the temporal uplift of India. I argue that while Narasimhaswami's vision for independent India was broadly inclusive, seeking to bring together Hindus and Muslims, his advocacy of Hindu philosophy and ritual as the means for understanding and approaching Sai Baba promoted a divinization of this guru that has impacted his appeal to Hindus and non-Hindus in vastly different measures.
Nova Religio, vol. 15, no. 2 (2011): 20-49.
In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man... more Nova Religio, vol. 15, no. 2 (2011): 20-49. In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man Shirdi Sai Baba (d. 1918) gazes out at the viewer, his right hand raised in blessing. Behind him are a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, and a Christian church; above him is the slogan, “Be United, Be Virtuous.” In his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba acquired a handful of Hindu and Muslim devotees in western India. Over the past several decades, he has been transformed from a regional figure into a revered persona of pan-Indian significance. While much scholarship on religion in modern India has focused on Hindu nationalist groups, new religious movements seeking to challenge sectarianism have received far less attention. Drawing upon primary devotional materials and ethnographic research, this article argues that one significant reason for the rapid growth of this movement is Shirdi Sai Baba’s composite vision of spiritual unity in diversity, construed by many devotees as a needed corrective to rigid sectarian ideologies.
Co-authored with Whitney Bauman, Joseph A. Marchal, Maureen O’Connell, and Sara M. Patterson. Tea... more Co-authored with Whitney Bauman, Joseph A. Marchal, Maureen O’Connell, and Sara M. Patterson. Teaching Theology & Religion, vol. 17, no. 4 (2014): 301-322.
Religion Compass, vol. 5, no. 10 (2011): 598-608. This article provides an overview of the birth... more Religion Compass, vol. 5, no. 10 (2011): 598-608. This article provides an overview of the birth of comics in India; a discussion of the available scholarship to date, which has focused largely on India’s most prominent comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, and its connections to classical Hindu mythology and modern Hindu nationalist ideology; a roundup of recent developments in Indian comics since the creation of Amar Chitra Katha; and briefly offers some suggestions for further research.
Bulletin of the School for Oriental and African Studies, special volume on scripture and religion... more Bulletin of the School for Oriental and African Studies, special volume on scripture and religion, vol. 71, no. 2 (2008): 297-322.
South Asia Research, vol. 27, no. 1 (2007): 57-77.
Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories... more South Asia Research, vol. 27, no. 1 (2007): 57-77. Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories’) is the leading Indian comic book series, with 440 mythological and historical titles and sales of over 86 million issues. In 1989, after twenty years of publishing success, the producers of this series decided to release two issues on the world-renowned Indian politician and activist, Mahatma Gandhi. But Gandhi, best known for his technique of non-violent civil resistance, presented a formidable challenge: How to depict the Mahatma, paragon of peace and nonviolence, in a visual medium that is notorious for its action and violence? This article examines the relationship between text and image in these comics, and draws upon interviews with authors and artists, to better understand the contested memory of Gandhi in India today as well as the contested concept of non-violence.
Chapter in the edited book Modern Hinduism, ed. by Brian A. Hatcher (New York: Routledge, 2015): ... more Chapter in the edited book Modern Hinduism, ed. by Brian A. Hatcher (New York: Routledge, 2015): 227-242.
Chapter in the edited book Public Hinduisms, ed. by John Zavos, Pralay Kanungo, Deepa S. Reddy, M... more Chapter in the edited book Public Hinduisms, ed. by John Zavos, Pralay Kanungo, Deepa S. Reddy, Maya Warrier, and Raymond B. Williams (New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2012): 190-209.
Chapter in the edited book Religion and Identity in South Asia and Beyond: Essays in Honor of Pat... more Chapter in the edited book Religion and Identity in South Asia and Beyond: Essays in Honor of Patrick Olivelle, ed. by Steven E. Lindquist (New York: Anthem Press, 2011): 369-390.
Chapter in the edited book Popular Culture in a Globalised India, ed. by K. Moti Gokulsing and Wi... more Chapter in the edited book Popular Culture in a Globalised India, ed. by K. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake (New York: Routledge, 2009): 157-173.
Encyclopedia entry on Bollywood/Hindi Film in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Film edited by Eri... more Encyclopedia entry on Bollywood/Hindi Film in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Film edited by Eric Mazur.
The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical Hindu scripture in which the god Krishna imparts lessons to ... more The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical Hindu scripture in which the god Krishna imparts lessons to the warrior prince Arjuna about sacred duty (dharma) and the path to spiritual liberation (moksha). This classical scripture has had a long and active interpretive life, and by the 19th century it had come to be regarded as a core text, if not the core text, of Hinduism. During the colonial period, interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita considered the relevance of Krishna’s lessons to Arjuna in the context of British colonial rule. While some Indians read a call to arms into their interpretation of this scripture and urged their fellow Indians to rise up in armed resistance, Gandhi famously read a nonviolent message into it. This article argues that equally as important as Gandhi’s hermeneutics of nonviolence is his commitment to enacting the lessons of the Bhagavad Gita as he interpreted them in the daily life of his intentional communities. When explored through the lens of daily life in...
Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard ... more Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard from Shirdi village in Maharashtra, India, is instantly recognizable to most South Asians (and many Westerners) as a guru for all faiths―Hindus, Muslims, and others. During his lifetime Sai Baba accepted all followers who came to him, regardless of religious or caste background, and preached a path of spiritual enlightenment and mutual tolerance. These days, tens of thousands of Indians and foreigners make the pilgrimage to Shirdi each year, and Sai Baba temples have sprung up in unlikely places around the world, such as Munich, Seattle, and Austin.
Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining―and enlightening―look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.
Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha,... more Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, or "Immortal Picture Stories," is also an important cultural institution that has helped define, for several generations of readers, what it means to be Hindu and Indian. Karline McLain worked in the ACK production offices and had many conversations with Anant Pai, founder and publisher, and with artists, writers, and readers about why the comics are so popular and what messages they convey. In this intriguing study, she explores the making of the comic books and the kinds of editorial and ideological choices that go into their production.
B. V. Narasimhaswami (1874–1956) never met Shirdi Sai Baba face to face, for he arrived in Shirdi... more B. V. Narasimhaswami (1874–1956) never met Shirdi Sai Baba face to face, for he arrived in Shirdi eighteen years after Sai Baba's death in 1918. However, the overwhelming sense of loving union he experienced in Shirdi convinced him that Sai Baba was still accessible from beyond the grave. For the remaining years of his life he worked relentlessly to spread Sai Baba's name throughout India. This article examines the tension between inclusion and exclusion in Narasimhaswami's interpretation of Sai Baba. Narasimhaswami believed that Sai Baba was a divinized guru with two interconnected missions: The spiritual uplift of individuals and the temporal uplift of India. I argue that while Narasimhaswami's vision for independent India was broadly inclusive, seeking to bring together Hindus and Muslims, his advocacy of Hindu philosophy and ritual as the means for understanding and approaching Sai Baba promoted a divinization of this guru that has impacted his appeal to Hindus and non-Hindus in vastly different measures.
Nova Religio, vol. 15, no. 2 (2011): 20-49.
In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man... more Nova Religio, vol. 15, no. 2 (2011): 20-49. In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man Shirdi Sai Baba (d. 1918) gazes out at the viewer, his right hand raised in blessing. Behind him are a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, and a Christian church; above him is the slogan, “Be United, Be Virtuous.” In his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba acquired a handful of Hindu and Muslim devotees in western India. Over the past several decades, he has been transformed from a regional figure into a revered persona of pan-Indian significance. While much scholarship on religion in modern India has focused on Hindu nationalist groups, new religious movements seeking to challenge sectarianism have received far less attention. Drawing upon primary devotional materials and ethnographic research, this article argues that one significant reason for the rapid growth of this movement is Shirdi Sai Baba’s composite vision of spiritual unity in diversity, construed by many devotees as a needed corrective to rigid sectarian ideologies.
Co-authored with Whitney Bauman, Joseph A. Marchal, Maureen O’Connell, and Sara M. Patterson. Tea... more Co-authored with Whitney Bauman, Joseph A. Marchal, Maureen O’Connell, and Sara M. Patterson. Teaching Theology & Religion, vol. 17, no. 4 (2014): 301-322.
Religion Compass, vol. 5, no. 10 (2011): 598-608. This article provides an overview of the birth... more Religion Compass, vol. 5, no. 10 (2011): 598-608. This article provides an overview of the birth of comics in India; a discussion of the available scholarship to date, which has focused largely on India’s most prominent comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, and its connections to classical Hindu mythology and modern Hindu nationalist ideology; a roundup of recent developments in Indian comics since the creation of Amar Chitra Katha; and briefly offers some suggestions for further research.
Bulletin of the School for Oriental and African Studies, special volume on scripture and religion... more Bulletin of the School for Oriental and African Studies, special volume on scripture and religion, vol. 71, no. 2 (2008): 297-322.
South Asia Research, vol. 27, no. 1 (2007): 57-77.
Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories... more South Asia Research, vol. 27, no. 1 (2007): 57-77. Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories’) is the leading Indian comic book series, with 440 mythological and historical titles and sales of over 86 million issues. In 1989, after twenty years of publishing success, the producers of this series decided to release two issues on the world-renowned Indian politician and activist, Mahatma Gandhi. But Gandhi, best known for his technique of non-violent civil resistance, presented a formidable challenge: How to depict the Mahatma, paragon of peace and nonviolence, in a visual medium that is notorious for its action and violence? This article examines the relationship between text and image in these comics, and draws upon interviews with authors and artists, to better understand the contested memory of Gandhi in India today as well as the contested concept of non-violence.
Chapter in the edited book Modern Hinduism, ed. by Brian A. Hatcher (New York: Routledge, 2015): ... more Chapter in the edited book Modern Hinduism, ed. by Brian A. Hatcher (New York: Routledge, 2015): 227-242.
Chapter in the edited book Public Hinduisms, ed. by John Zavos, Pralay Kanungo, Deepa S. Reddy, M... more Chapter in the edited book Public Hinduisms, ed. by John Zavos, Pralay Kanungo, Deepa S. Reddy, Maya Warrier, and Raymond B. Williams (New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2012): 190-209.
Chapter in the edited book Religion and Identity in South Asia and Beyond: Essays in Honor of Pat... more Chapter in the edited book Religion and Identity in South Asia and Beyond: Essays in Honor of Patrick Olivelle, ed. by Steven E. Lindquist (New York: Anthem Press, 2011): 369-390.
Chapter in the edited book Popular Culture in a Globalised India, ed. by K. Moti Gokulsing and Wi... more Chapter in the edited book Popular Culture in a Globalised India, ed. by K. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake (New York: Routledge, 2009): 157-173.
Encyclopedia entry on Bollywood/Hindi Film in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Film edited by Eri... more Encyclopedia entry on Bollywood/Hindi Film in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Film edited by Eric Mazur.
The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical Hindu scripture in which the god Krishna imparts lessons to ... more The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical Hindu scripture in which the god Krishna imparts lessons to the warrior prince Arjuna about sacred duty (dharma) and the path to spiritual liberation (moksha). This classical scripture has had a long and active interpretive life, and by the 19th century it had come to be regarded as a core text, if not the core text, of Hinduism. During the colonial period, interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita considered the relevance of Krishna’s lessons to Arjuna in the context of British colonial rule. While some Indians read a call to arms into their interpretation of this scripture and urged their fellow Indians to rise up in armed resistance, Gandhi famously read a nonviolent message into it. This article argues that equally as important as Gandhi’s hermeneutics of nonviolence is his commitment to enacting the lessons of the Bhagavad Gita as he interpreted them in the daily life of his intentional communities. When explored through the lens of daily life in...
Acknowledgments Notes on StyleIntroduction: Comic Books that Radiate a Spiritual Force 1. The Fat... more Acknowledgments Notes on StyleIntroduction: Comic Books that Radiate a Spiritual Force 1. The Father of Indian Comic Books 2. Long-Suffering Wives and Self-Sacrificing Queens 3. Accurately Sequencing Goddess Durga's Mythology 4. The Warrior-King Shivaji in History and Mythology 5. Muslims as Secular Heroes and Zealous Villains 6. Mahatma Gandhi as a Comic Book Hero Conclusion. The Global Legacy of Amar Chitra KathaNotes Bibliography Index
Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard ... more Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard from Shirdi village in Maharashtra, India, is instantly recognizable to most South Asians (and many Westerners) as a guru for all faiths―Hindus, Muslims, and others. During his lifetime Sai Baba accepted all followers who came to him, regardless of religious or caste background, and preached a path of spiritual enlightenment and mutual tolerance. These days, tens of thousands of Indians and foreigners make the pilgrimage to Shirdi each year, and Sai Baba temples have sprung up in unlikely places around the world, such as Munich, Seattle, and Austin. Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining―and enlightening―look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.
Amar Chitra Katha “Immortal Picture Stories”, the leading Indian comic book series, enjoys a ubiq... more Amar Chitra Katha “Immortal Picture Stories”, the leading Indian comic book series, enjoys a ubiquitous presence among the urban middle-class in India and the South Asian diaspora. These comic books are an important medium of public culture that contributes to the process of identity formation. As part of the zone of debate that is public culture, these comic books entail a range of intended and received messages. However, like other mainstream mediums of public culture, these comic books are greatly influenced by the forces of modernity, globalisation, and nationalism, forces which are apparent in the modern “Indianness,” which is constructed in this medium in opposition to an “otherness.” In this essay I will focus on how Sita and Shrupanakha may be interpreted as symbols of the nation – symbols of “Indianness” and “otherness” – in Amar Chitra Katha comic books. Amar Chitra Katha picturises the Ramayana epic. Three of the first ten issues published by Amar Chitra Katha were storie...
I the twentieth century, prevailing models of literary criticism drew a line between realist and... more I the twentieth century, prevailing models of literary criticism drew a line between realist and anti-realist literature, placing realist works on one side of the line and fantastic works on the opposite side. Recently, magical realist fiction has called into question this divide, as this literary mode blurs the line between realism and the fantastic. Postcolonial writers of Latin American, African, and South Asian literature who have decided to write in the fantastic mode have made a subversive choice to represent the world in a consciously non-Western way; in effect, they use
This is a review of Om Shanti Om (2007). This film review is available in Journal of Religion & F... more This is a review of Om Shanti Om (2007). This film review is available in Journal of Religion & Film: http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol12/iss2/14 The tagline for the Hindi cinema/Bollywood film Om Shanti Om (dir. Farah Khan, 2007) is, “For some dreams, one lifetime is not enough!” Set in the disco heyday of 1970s Bombay, Om Shanti Om is a tale of two star-crossed lovers, Om and Shanti. Om is a small-time actor with two big dreams: to become a star and to become the love of leading lady Shanti. To help her son achieve his goals, Om’s mother undertakes a typical Hindu vow and ties a string blessed by a guru around her son’s wrist, telling him that now his wishes will surely come true. At the premiere of “Dreamy Girl” shortly thereafter, Shanti’s sari becomes entangled with Om’s string as she walks down the red carpet. Their lingering exchange of glances upon this first auspicious meeting suggests that the pair is destined to fall in love. Later that evening, Om drunkenly rehea...
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Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining―and enlightening―look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.
Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2009
In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man Shirdi Sai Baba (d. 1918) gazes out at the viewer, his right hand raised in blessing. Behind him are a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, and a Christian church; above him is the slogan, “Be United, Be Virtuous.” In his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba acquired a handful of Hindu and Muslim devotees in western India. Over the past several decades, he has been transformed from a regional figure into a revered persona of pan-Indian significance. While much scholarship on religion in modern India has focused on Hindu nationalist groups, new religious movements seeking to challenge sectarianism have received
far less attention. Drawing upon primary devotional materials and ethnographic research, this article argues that one significant reason for the rapid growth of this movement is Shirdi Sai Baba’s composite vision of spiritual unity in diversity, construed by many devotees as a needed corrective to rigid sectarian ideologies.
Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories’) is the leading Indian comic book series, with 440 mythological and historical titles and sales of over 86 million issues. In 1989, after twenty years of publishing success, the producers of this series decided to release two issues on the world-renowned Indian politician and activist, Mahatma Gandhi. But Gandhi, best known for his technique of non-violent civil resistance, presented a formidable challenge: How to depict the Mahatma, paragon of peace and nonviolence, in a visual medium that is notorious for its action and violence? This article examines the relationship between text and image in these comics, and draws upon interviews with authors and artists, to better understand the contested memory of Gandhi in India today as well as the contested concept of non-violence.
Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining―and enlightening―look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.
Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2009
In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man Shirdi Sai Baba (d. 1918) gazes out at the viewer, his right hand raised in blessing. Behind him are a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, and a Christian church; above him is the slogan, “Be United, Be Virtuous.” In his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba acquired a handful of Hindu and Muslim devotees in western India. Over the past several decades, he has been transformed from a regional figure into a revered persona of pan-Indian significance. While much scholarship on religion in modern India has focused on Hindu nationalist groups, new religious movements seeking to challenge sectarianism have received
far less attention. Drawing upon primary devotional materials and ethnographic research, this article argues that one significant reason for the rapid growth of this movement is Shirdi Sai Baba’s composite vision of spiritual unity in diversity, construed by many devotees as a needed corrective to rigid sectarian ideologies.
Amar Chitra Katha (‘Immortal Picture Stories’) is the leading Indian comic book series, with 440 mythological and historical titles and sales of over 86 million issues. In 1989, after twenty years of publishing success, the producers of this series decided to release two issues on the world-renowned Indian politician and activist, Mahatma Gandhi. But Gandhi, best known for his technique of non-violent civil resistance, presented a formidable challenge: How to depict the Mahatma, paragon of peace and nonviolence, in a visual medium that is notorious for its action and violence? This article examines the relationship between text and image in these comics, and draws upon interviews with authors and artists, to better understand the contested memory of Gandhi in India today as well as the contested concept of non-violence.