Biography
Bhakti Mamtora is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics at the University of Arizona. Her current book explores how nineteenth-vernacular teachings were transmitted, formalized, and received, alongside their impact on the development of a modern Hindu tradition. Broadly, she is interested in the mediation of religious knowledge and the making of Hindu diaspora communities in the United States. She has published in Fieldwork in Religion, Postscripts: The Journal Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts, The Journal of Vaishnava Studies, Hinduism in Five Minutes, and The Revealer. Her work was supported by fellowships from the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Yale Center for Faith and Culture, and Sacred Writes. She currently co-chairs the South Asian Religions Unit and is president of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies.
Candidate Statement
I am honored to be nominated for At-Large Director for the American Academy of Religion’s Board of Directors. Our field is facing several challenges reflective of broader trends in the humanities: programs are being cut, political pressures are mounting, and many colleagues are working under precarious conditions. Amid this, the AAR remains an essential advocate for the study of religion.
Much of this advocacy occurs through the sessions at our annual meetings, and year round programs in our regions and online. Our members are at the heart of these initiatives. If elected, I will work to ensure that your concerns and ideas are clearly represented and that every member has an opportunity to inform the Board’s work.
My dedication to this work is rooted in a twelve-year journey with the AAR, beginning at the SECSOR regional meeting in Atlanta as a second-year Ph.D. student. There, I was inspired by colleagues who prioritized inclusive programming, cultivated welcoming spaces, and invested in mentoring emerging scholars. I have strived to carry this ethos into each of my leadership roles. Since 2016, I have served as the Student Director on the AAR Board, and on steering committees for the North American Hinduism Unit, South Asian Religions Unit, and Women and Religion Unit. As co-chair of SARI, I facilitated the “New Directions in the Study of South Asian Religions” panel, which has mentored graduate students and early career scholars through their first AAR presentations. My collaborative work across the AAR and with organizations such as the Society for Comparative Research on Iconic and Performative Texts and the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies has reinforced that effective leadership is grounded in fostering relationships. In these roles, I have endeavored to facilitate cross-disciplinary conversations and center diverse perspectives in our discussions.
I will bring these commitments to the Board by focusing on these priorities: (1) foregrounding member voices, (2) supporting programming and structures that strengthen the field, and (3) maintaining an equitable environment where every member thrives.
The AAR has played a critical role in my development as a scholar, colleague, and mentor, and I would be honored to serve as At-Large Director to help advance its programming in the years ahead.