Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network

Episode: Karen Pechilis ed., "A Cultural History of Hinduism: Volumes 1-6" (Bloomsbury, 2024)

Date: October 9, 2025

Host: Raj Balkaran
Guests: Karen Pechilis (Series Editor, Volume 3), Jared Whitaker (Volume 1), Valerie Stoker (Volume 4)
Topic: The creation, structure, and significance of the six-volume "A Cultural History of Hinduism"

Main Theme

This episode explores the conception, organization, and broader impact of A Cultural History of Hinduism, a groundbreaking six-volume reference work. Led by series editor Karen Pechilis alongside fellow volume editors Jared Whitaker and Valerie Stoker, the conversation delves into the editorial vision, logistical challenges, scholarly debates, and pedagogical value of the set. The discussion highlights the collaborative process among 55 international scholars, the decision-making behind periodization, and the innovative thematic approach bridging chronology with major cultural topics across Hindu history.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Project Genesis and Vision

• Origin: Bloomsbury Academic initiated the “Cultural History of…” series; after successful volumes on animals, gardens, food, etc., “Hinduism” was proposed at a 2015 conference (03:12).
  • Karen Pechilis: “It originated with the publisher... and in 2015... they approached me about a series... and the possibility of expanding this into Hinduism.”
• Structure: Six volumes, each devoted to a specific epoch, covering Antiquity to the contemporary period; each volume addresses the same eight themes/topics.
• Collaborative Scope: 55 contributing scholars from around the globe. Diversity in scholars’ backgrounds and perspectives was prioritized.

2. Editorial Organization and Challenges

• Timeline: From inception to publication spanned about a decade, complicated by editorial transitions, permissions issues, and the COVID pandemic (12:41).
  • Jared Whitaker: “Karen gave me a deadline of 2019... and everyone had this happen by 2019. I only learned after that about how early I had got everyone in... the publication date... is 2024.”
• Collaborative Process: All volume editors collaborated on key decisions, notably time period labels (08:56). Periodization demanded careful reconsideration.
  • Valerie Stoker: “How do you put a singular label on what that time period is? ... The periodization challenge is in a lot of ways linked up to the logistical challenge...” (14:20)
• Periodization as Debate: Consistent awareness that historical period labels and even the term “Hinduism” do not always fit the contexts under study.
  • Jared Whitaker: “A lot of these even periodization categories we’re picking are kind of arbitrary... even Adish’s volume on the classical age... uses this language of classical, which is critiqued in the volume.” (17:20)

3. Thematic and Chronological Approach

• Dual Reading Paths: Readers may follow a single volume for one epoch or track a theme (e.g., visual culture, power, identity) across all epochs (03:12, 23:15).
  • Raj Balkaran: “I love the dovetailing of thinking temporally and thinking thematically... a masterstroke of organization and brilliance for different kinds of learners...”
• Eight Core Themes: Sources of authority, defining body & mind, social organization, identity & dialogue, politics & power, visual culture, lineages & movements, global context. These were collaboratively selected as relevant across all eras (30:25).
  • Karen Pechilis: “There were like six topics that everyone agreed on, which it was extraordinary in a meeting of the minds...”

4. Editorial Reflections on Specific Volumes

Volume 1: Antiquity (2000–200 BCE) — Edited by Jared Whitaker

• Content Focus: Rig Veda to the Upanishads, rise of Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism.
• Limitations: Choices made to exclude Indus Valley and to focus on North India/Sanskritic traditions due to available evidence and scholarship (25:57).
  • Jared Whitaker: “One of the shortcomings of the volume... is that I had to... not bring in, say, discussion of the Indus Valley civilization... Another serious critique would be... it’s Sanskrit centered and it’s North Indian centered.”
• Global Context: Final chapters explore sensitive issues of identity, diaspora, and the politics of “Hinduism.”

Volume 3: Post-Classical Age (800–1500 CE) — Edited by Karen Pechilis

• Purpose: Challenge negative periodizations (e.g., “medieval decline”) and highlight the vibrancy, diversity, and dynamism of the era (30:25).
  • Karen Pechilis: “One of the concerns... in the intro... was to counter the prominent image of that time period as... a decline... basically that this is a more organic development of polity and using updated scholarly models... it really is evolution, not devolution.”
• Key Contributions: Expanded visibility of voices—named authors, artisans, women, traders—new literary forms and doxography.

Volume 4: Age of Empires (1500–1857) — Edited by Valerie Stoker

• Periodization Debate: Originally titled Age of Colonialism—renamed to better reflect early, non-colonial empires (14:20, 40:24).
  • Valerie Stoker: “The Age of Empires in part reflected just the sense that I was inheriting a kind of political label for the time period... another theme... was that this was a period of... encounter and exchange... empires in early modern, they kind of work together well.”
• Cultural Dynamics: Emphasis on cross-regional contact, religious and cultural exchanges, Bhakti and Sufi interactions, changing forms of social and political organization.

Later Volumes:

• Volume 5 (Late Colonialism, 1857–1947): Focuses on Hinduism’s relationship to nationalism, reform, identity during intense political and technological change (44:44).
• Volume 6 (Independence, 1947–2017): Contemporary challenges, including controversies over the term “Hinduism,” mobilization and interpretation in modern times (44:44).

5. Scholarly and Pedagogical Impact

• Updated Scholarship: State-of-the-field resource, integrating new research and theories (e.g., gender, body, discourse, visual culture) (51:07).
• Accessible Design: High-quality images, readable format, introductions that synthesize cutting-edge trends for teachers and students.
  • Karen Pechilis: “Each volume is packed with some 70 high resolution images... designed to mention things that people would expect ... and yet to go beyond that both in terms of updated critical scholarship as well as the extensive use of imagery.” (30:25)
• For All Audiences: Useful to specialists seeking cross-field insight, graduate students needing a primer, and instructors updating curricula (54:33, 56:38).
  • Jared Whitaker: “What the volumes are trying to show is... contemporary theoretical approaches... so the volumes are really nice showcases of scholars... trying to understand them in contemporary social science and humanities theories.”
  • Karen Pechilis: “In some ways, I always think of this set as, well, let the conference come to me... and learn what all these wonderful scholars are saying.” (54:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Karen Pechilis [03:12]: “I thought this was a terrific idea and I thought a very accessible way to study the resonant complexities of Hinduism... It’s a piece of the backstory.”
• Jared Whitaker [09:42]: “I think the first thing is to publicly thank Karen for a Herculean task, really, truly... Karen was exemplary in constantly leading and fostering a supportive process.”
• Valerie Stoker [14:20]: “So, yes, periodization was a challenge, and... the reader can kind of think about that challenge, you know, as they're going through the different chapters.”
• Jared Whitaker [17:20]: “A lot of these even periodization categories we’re picking are kind of arbitrary... We are using a term [Hinduism] that doesn’t have currency for much of Indian history... there’s no such thing as Hinduism in the period I’m dealing with, or many of the periods we’re dealing with.”
• Raj Balkaran [23:15]: “The notion to which, quote, unquote, Hinduism is not a genus or a species, it's a jungle. It's the jungle, it's the Indic jungle. It's a subcontinental smorgasbord of so much.”
• Valerie Stoker [42:25]: “Hindu practitioners are sort of actively involved... we see a lot of interaction and exchange... between regions, between religions, between cultural communities; the continuity... is in itself this constantly changing thing that happens through cultural interactions.”
• Karen Pechilis [47:38]: “We’re certainly not making the claim of the Mahabharata... What is here is found elsewhere, but what is not here is nowhere... But it seems to me we cover a lot of ground in these volumes.”
• Karen Pechilis [54:33]: “I always think of this set as, well, let the conference come to me, and I can sit in my comfortable chair and my sweatpants and I can have the conference right here and learn what all these wonderful scholars are saying.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:12] Project Origins & Structure – Karen introduces genesis and organization of the set
• [08:56] Editorial Process and Periodization Discussion
• [14:20] The Complexity and Fluidity of Period Labels (Valerie Stoker)
• [17:20] Limits of “Hinduism” as a Category (Jared Whitaker)
• [23:15] Cultural History Approach vs. Social History (Karen Pechilis)
• [25:57] Volume 1: Antiquity—Editorial Choices & Coverage (Jared Whitaker)
• [30:25] Eight Core Themes/Chapters and Visual Culture Emphasis (Karen Pechilis)
• [40:24] Volume 4: Age of Empires—Interaction & Exchange (Valerie Stoker)
• [44:44] Later Volumes (Colonialism, Independence); Addressing Modern/Contemporary Issues (Karen Pechilis)
• [51:07] Pedagogical Importance and Application (Jared Whitaker)
• [54:33] Utility for Scholars Inside & Outside Their Periods (Karen Pechilis)
• [56:56] Podcast as Education Resource, Use-Cases for the Set (All)
• [58:24] Closing appreciations and final thoughts

Flow and Tone

The conversation is collegial and reflective, balancing scholarly rigor with humor and accessible language. The editors openly discuss the project’s challenges, personal experiences, and hopes for its impact on both scholarship and the classroom. The host, Raj Balkaran, adds personal insights as an educator and expresses admiration for the set’s scope and usability.

Conclusion

A Cultural History of Hinduism, in six thoughtfully organized and richly crafted volumes, stands as an ambitious and necessary resource for anyone interested in the complexities of Hindu history and culture. By foregrounding scholarly debate, thematically linking centuries of change, and emphasizing accessibility for a wide audience, the editors have created a reference work poised to shape teaching, research, and broader understanding in the field for years to come.