Robin Rinehart

Professor Robin Rinehart is a Professor of Religious Studies at Lafayette College where she serves as head of the Religious Studies department and chair of Asian studies. Her academic career spans several decades with a consistent focus on South Asian religious traditions.

Her research expertise includes:

• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism
• Religions of Asia with linguistic proficiency in Hindi and Sanskrit
• Methodological approaches to religious studies
• Historical interactions between Hinduism and Islam

Rinehart's scholarly publications demonstrate a progression from Hindu hagiography to contemporary Sikh textual studies. Her work on the Dasam Granth represents a significant contribution to understanding this controversial 1,428-page text believed to be authored by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. Rather than focusing on doctrinal debates about the text's religious status, Rinehart examines its place within Indian literature and society, noting its greatest relevance during the 18th century Sikh kingdoms period.

Her academic recognition includes:

• Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award
• Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Lecture Award
• Jones Faculty Lecture Award

Professor Rinehart maintains active professional engagement as co-chair of the Religion in South Asia Section of the American Academy of Religion and membership in the Association for Asian Studies. She has advised numerous students through independent study and honors thesis research, and has presented her work internationally in India, Italy, Belgium, Trinidad, and Canada.