David N. Lorenzen is a British–American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

, scholar of Religious studies,

essayist An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal ...

, and

emeritus professor ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

South Asian history South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; T ...

at the Centre for Asian and African studies,

El Colegio de México El Colegio de México, A.C. (commonly known as Colmex, English: The College of Mexico) is a Mexican institute of higher education, specializing in teaching and research in social sciences and humanities. The college was founded in 1940 by the ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. He is chiefly notable for publishing several essays and books on ancient, medieval, and modern periods in South Asian history and

Indian religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...

, especially on the

history of Hinduism The history of Hinduism covers a wide variety of related religious traditions native to the Indian subcontinent. It overlaps or coincides with the development of religion in the Indian subcontinent since the Iron Age, with some of its tradition ...

and

Christian missions A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, namely, ''Who invented Hinduism?'', ''Bhakti Religion in North India'', ''The Scourge Of The Mission: Marco della Tomba in Hindustan'', and many more.

Education

David N. Lorenzen received his doctorate in the History of Indian Religions from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

(1968), where he studied under the Indologist and historian

Arthur Llewellyn Basham Arthur Llewellyn Basham (24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a noted historian, Indologist and author of a number of books. As a Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London in the 1950s and the 1960s, he taught a number of fa ...

. Before that he travelled to

on a Junior Fellowship from the

American Institute of Indian Studies The American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), founded in 1961, is a consortium of 90 universities and colleges in the United States that promotes the advancement of knowledge about India in the U.S. It carries out this purpose by: awarding fello ...

(1965–1966), studied ancient Indian history at the

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ...

of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...

(1962–1965), and did his undergraduate studies at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settlers as a town under its ...

Academic career

Lorenzen worked as a professor and researcher for the Center for Asian and African Studies at

from 1970 to 2010. Since 2011 he has been professor of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the same institution. He served as editor of the ''Asia and Africa Studie
Journal
' de from 1987 to 1991 and has been a member of the editorial committee since 1970. Lorenzen has been visiting professor at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, the

École pratique des hautes études The École pratique des hautes études (), abbreviated EPHE, is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is highly selective, and counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions. It is a constituent college o ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, and Università "La Sapienza" in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. He has presented papers at many academic conferences in various countries. Since 1984 he has been a member and then emeritus member of the

National System of Researchers Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers) or SNI is a governmental agency established in Mexico in 1984 to promote both the quantity and quality of research in Mexico, especially in the sciences. In the 1980s, the countr ...

of the

Mexican government The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republ ...

. He has received research grants from the American Institute of Indian Studies, the

Social Science Research Council The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is a US-based, independent, international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines. Established in Manhattan in 1923, it today maintains ...

, and the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

. Since 2019 he has been an emeritus professor at

. Lorenzen has edited and reviewed essays published on notable journals and books.

Research and publications

The academic research of David Lorenzen has concentrated mainly on the

and Christian religious movements in

, but he has also worked on aspects of Indian political history and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

. He has published translations into both Spanish and English of texts written in Hindi and Sanskrit. The topics of his publications include ''

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

'' religious movements,

Kabir Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das ...

and his followers, subsects of the Shaivite tradition of Hinduism (including the

Nath Nath, also called Natha, are a Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions in India.Kapalika The Kāpālika tradition was a Tantric, non-Puranic form of Shaivism which originated in Medieval India between the 7th and 8th century CE. The word is derived from the Sanskrit term '' kapāla'', meaning "skull", and ''kāpālika'' means ...

s, and

Kalamukha The Kalamukha were a medieval Shaivite sect of the Deccan Plateau who were among the first professional monks of India. Their earliest monasteries were built in Mysore. Origin and etymology Information regarding the Kalamukha sect takes the fo ...

s), and Capuchin

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

in the Indian subcontinent. He has also written about the life and thought of the Indian philosopher and Hindu mystic

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

, the history of the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, and the historical development and conceptualization of Hinduism in

pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

and

colonial India Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spices. The search for the wealth and prospe ...

. * ''The Kāpālikas and Kālāmukhas: two lost Śaivite sects'' (1972) * ''Kabir legends and Ananta-das's Kabir Parachai'' (1991) * ''Praises to a formless god: Nirguṇī texts from North India'' (1996) * ''Who invented Hinduism: essays on religion in History'' (2006) * ''The Scourge Of The Mission: Marco della Tomba in Hindustan'' (2010) * ''A Dialogue Between a Christian and a Hindu About Religion by Giuseppe Maria da Gargnano'' (2015) * ''Religious Movements in South Asia 600-1800'' * ''Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action'' * ''Yogi Heroes and Poets: Histories and Legends of the Naths'' * ''Religious change and cultural domination: XXX International Congress of Human Sciences in Asia and North Africa'' * ''Studies on Asia and Africa from Latin America'' * ''Nirgun Santon Ke Swapana'' * ''Atadura y liberación (Estudios De Asia Y Africa) (Spanish Edition)'' * ''Myths of the Dog-Man. (book reviews): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society'' * ''History and Historiography of the Age of Harsha. (book reviews): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society'' * ''Historical Dictionary of Sikhism.(Review): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society'' * ''A Catalog Of Manuscripts In The Kabir Chaura Monastery, Expanded Edition'' * ''Hindu Theodicy and Jana Gopala (Kervan – International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies) (2020)'' * ''Kabir and the Avatars (Kervan – International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies) (2021)'' * ''Hindúes, misioneros y orientalistas: una antología (2022)''

References

External links

Lorenzen's profile
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorenzen, David 20th-century American educators 20th-century American historians 20th-century English educators 20th-century English historians 21st-century American educators 21st-century American historians 21st-century English educators 21st-century English historians Alumni of SOAS University of London American expatriates in India American expatriates in Mexico American historians of religion American Indologists American male essayists American Sanskrit scholars Australian National University alumni British expatriates in India British expatriates in Mexico British male essayists British religion academics British Sanskrit scholars El Colegio de México faculty English essayists English historians English Indologists Harvard University faculty École pratique des hautes études faculty Hindu studies scholars Historians of India Historians of South Asia Living people Missiologists Sanskrit–English translators Sapienza University of Rome faculty Social Science Research Council University of Iowa faculty Wesleyan University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)