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Faculty-directory

Ravi Gupta Head of Religious Studies

Profile Picture

Department of History

Professor-Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies - World Religions, Hinduism, Interfaith Dialogue, Religion in Performance

Associate Professor

Contact Information

Office Location: Old Main 321
DialPhone: (435) 797-1196
SendEmail: ravi.gupta@usu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Educational Background

PhD, Hinduism, University of Oxford, 2004
MA, Study of Religion, University of Oxford, 2000
BA, Philosophy, Boise State University, 1999
BS, Applied Mathematics, Boise State University, 1999

Biography

Ravi M. Gupta holds the Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies and serves as Director of the Religious Studies Program at Utah State University. He is the author or editor of four books, including most recently an abridged translation of the Bhagavata Purana (with Kenneth Valpey), published by Columbia University Press. Ravi completed his doctorate in Hindu Studies at Oxford University and subsequently taught at the University of Florida, Centre College, and the College of William and Mary. He has received four teaching awards, a National Endowment for the Humanities summer fellowship, two research fellowships at Oxford, and a book award. He is a Permanent Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and past president of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. He lectures around the world on topics related to Vaishnava philosophy and Hindu devotional traditions.


Research Interests

Vedānta philosophy, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, bhakti traditions in Hinduism, and pedagogy in Religious Studies. Teaching Interests: World Religions, Hinduism, Religion in Performance.

Awards

Teacher of the Year Award, 2017

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Best Book Award, 2016

Dharma Academy of North America

NEH Summer Institute Fellowship, 2016

National Endowment for the Humanities

Permanent Research Fellow, 2015

Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

New Book Featured in USU Research Week Author Exhibition and Lecture Series, 2014

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Alpha Delta Gamma National Honor Society for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2012

Alumni Fellowship Award for Teaching Excellence, 2011

College of William and Mary

Shivdasani Research Fellowship, 2010

Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Fellow in Comparative Religion and Theologies of Religious Pluralism, 2009

American Academy of Religion and the Luce Foundation

The David Hughes Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2008

Centre College

Invited to present a personal gift and greeting to Pope Benedict XVI at a gathering of inter religious leaders during his first visit to the United States, 2008

United States Conference of Catholic Biships

Rookie Professor of the Year Teaching Award, 2007

Centre College

Graduate Fellowship, 1999

Phil Kappa Phi National Honor Society

Silver Medallion, 1999

Boise State University

Publications - Abstracts

    Publications - Books & Book Chapters

      Books

    • Gupta, R., Valpey, K.R, (2016). The Bhagavata Purana: Selected Readings. Columbia University Press
    • Gupta, R., (2014). Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason and Devotion. Ashgate
    • Gupta, R., Valpey, K.R, (2013). The Bhagavata Purana: Sacred Text and Living Tradition. Columbia University Press
    • Gupta, R., (2007). The Caitanya Vaisnava Vedanta of Jiva Gosvami: When Knowledge Meets Devotion. Routledge

      • Book Chapters

    • Gupta, R., (2015). Identidade e Legitimidade na Sampradaya Vaisnava de Caitanya: Filosofia e Teologia da Bhagavad-Gita: Hinduismo e o Vaishnavismo de Caitanya. Jurua Editora
    • Gupta, R., (2014). A Pearl Necklace of Propositions: Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Prameyaratnavali: Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason, and Devotion. Ashgate
    • Gupta, R., (2014). Where One is Forever Two: God and World in Jiva Gosvami's Bhagavata-sandarbha: Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Tradition, Reason, and Devotion. Ashgate
    • Gupta, R., Valpey, K.R, (2013). Churning the Ocean of Lila: Themes for Bhagavata Study: Bhagavata Purana: Sacred Text and Living Traditions. Columbia University Press
    • Gupta, R., (2012). The Bhagavata Purana as a Vedantic Text: An Excursion into Caitanya Vaisnava Philosophy: Prācyaprajñāpradīpa: Felicitation Volume for Prof. Samaresh Bandyopadhyay. NIOS
    • Gupta, R., (2010). Bhakti and Vedanta: Do They Mix? The Case of Caitanya Vaisnavism: From Vasubandhu to Caitanya: Studies in Indian Philosophy and its Textual History. Motilal Banarsidass
    • Gupta, R., Goswami, T., (2005). Krishna and Culture: What Happens When the Lord of Vrindavana Moves to New York City: Gurus in America. State University of New York Press

    * Has not been peer reviewed

    Publications - Fact Sheets

      * Has not been peer reviewed

      Publications - Curriculum

        * Has not been peer reviewed

        Publications - Journal Articles

          Academic Journal

        • Gupta, R., (2018). Translators’ Troubles: Seeking a Method that Suits the Bhagavata Purana. International Journal of Hindu Studies
        • Gupta, R., (2017). Hinduism and the Academy: Toward a Dialogue Between Scholar and Practitioner. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, 29:2016, 62-66.
        • Gupta, R., (2016). Finding Bhagavan in the Bhagavata: The Six Indicators of Meaning in Gaudiya Vedanta. Journal of Vaishnava Studies, 25:1 / Fall 2016, 192-204.
        • Gupta, R., (2016). Jiva Gosvami’s Commentary on the Gayatri: Translation and Context. Journal of Vaishnava Studies, 24:2 / Spring 2016, 64-72.
        • Gupta, R., (2012). Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Oxford Bibliographies Online, Hinduism
        • Gupta, R., Gupta, G.K, (2012). On the Bed of Arrows: Vaisnava Theodicy Beyond Karma. Journal of Vaishnava StudiesSpring 2012, 207-216.
        • Gupta, R., Gupta, G.K, (2012). On the Bed of Arrows: Vaisnava Theodicy Beyond Karma. Journal of Vaishnava StudiesSpring 2012, 207-216.
        • Gupta, R., (2010). 'He is our master': Jesus in the Thought of Swami Prabhupada. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, 15-19.
        • Gupta, R., (2008). On Conceiving the Inconceivable: Jiva Gosvami's Presentation of Acintya-bhedabheda. Journal of Vaishnava StudiesSpring 2008, 103-117.
        • Gupta, R., (2006). Making Space for Vedanta: Canon and Commentary in Caitanya Vaisnavism. International Journal of Hindu Studies, 10.1, 75-90.
        • Gupta, R., (2005). Walking a Theological Tightrope: Controversies of Sampradaya in Eighteenth-Century Caitanya Vaisnavism . ISKCON Communications Journal , 39-51.
        • Gupta, R., Goswami, T., (2003). Krishna and Culture: What Happens When the Lord of Vrindavana Moves to New York City. Journal of Vaishnava Studies, 11.2, 187-202.

        * Has not been peer reviewed

        Publications - Literary Journal

          * Has not been peer reviewed

          Publications - MultiMedia

          * Has not been peer reviewed

          Publications - Technical Reports

            * Has not been peer reviewed

            Publications - Translations & Transcripts

              Publications - Other

                Other

              • Gupta, R., (2012). Jiva Gosvami. Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism *
              • Gupta, R., (2010). Caitanya: Encyclopedia of Hinduism. *

              * Has not been peer reviewed

              Scheduled Teaching

              RELS 4930 - Directed Readings, Spring 2017

              RELS 3420 - Gods and Goddesses of India, Spring 2017

              HIST, RELS 3020 - Introduction to Hinduism, Spring 2017

              RELS 4990 - Religious Studies Capstone, Spring 2017

              RELS 4520 - Editing Internship, Fall 2016

              RELS 1010 - Introduction to Religious Studies, Fall 2016

              RELS 3990 - Introduction to Religious Studies Methodology, Fall 2016

              USU 1320 - Civilization: Humanities, Spring 2016

              RELS 4930 - Directed Readings, Spring 2016

              RELS 4520 - Editing Internship, Spring 2016

              HIST, RELS 3020 - Introduction to Hinduism, Spring 2016

              RELS 4990 - Religious Studies Capstone, Spring 2016

              RELS 4930 - Directed Readings, Fall 2015

              RELS 4520 - Editing Internship, Fall 2015

              RELS 3820 - Hindu Sacred Texts, Fall 2015

              RELS 1010 - Introduction to Religious Studies, Fall 2015

              USU 1320 - Civilization: Humanities, Spring 2015

              RELS 4930 - Directed Readings, Spring 2015

              HIST,RELS 3020 - Introduction to Hinduism, Spring 2015

              RELS 4930 - Directed Readings, Fall 2014

              RELS 1010 - Introduction to Religious Studies, Fall 2014

              RELS 1010 - Introduction to Religious Studies, Fall 2014

              USU 1320 - Civilization: Humanities, Spring 2014

              RELS 3820 - Hindu Sacred Texts, Spring 2014

              RELS 4990 - Religious Studies Capstone, Spring 2014

              HIST,RELS 3020 - Introduction to Hinduism, Fall 2013

              RELS 1010 - Introduction to Religious Studies, Fall 2013


              Graduate Students Mentored

              David Tauber, History, August 2016
              Kirtan Patel, History, August 2016
              Nina Cavazos, History, January 2015 - May 2016