John Stratton Hawley

John Stratton Hawley, the Claire Tow Professor of Religion at Barnard College, is a leading scholar in South Asian religious traditions. His work bridges historical analysis and contemporary relevance, focusing on Hinduism and devotional literature in North India.

Academic Background:

• PhD, Comparative Religion, Harvard University
• MDiv, Hebrew Bible, Union Theological Seminary
• BA, European History, Amherst College

Research Interests span the religious life of North India, Brajbhasha/Hindi literature, and the Bhakti movement's artistic legacy. He explores modern religious dynamics in New York while maintaining deep ties to Vrindavan's cultural evolution.

Recent Publications: Highlight trends in devotional poetry and urban religious adaptation, including Sur’s Ocean translations and Krishna’s Playground analysis of 21st-century Vrindavan.

Awards & Recognitions:

• Guggenheim Fellow (1985)
• Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2013-)
• Fulbright-Nehru Senior Fellowship (2016-17)
• Senior Fellowship, American Institute of Indian Studies (2023-24)
• Association for Asian Studies Book Prizes (2017, 2018)

Grants & Leadership: Directed Columbia University's South Asia Institute and received multiple NEH, Smithsonian, and AIIS grants. Currently researching manuscript art and religious retreats in global contexts.