Eileen Goddard | Bhakti Approaches to Compassion

In this enlightening episode of the Engaged Jain Studies podcast, Arihanta Institute professor Cogen Bohanec, MA, PhD engages in a profound discussion with Eileen Goddard, a Religious Studies PhD candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The conversation traverses Eileen's academic journey, highlighting key influences like her mentors Barbara Holdrege and Edwin Bryant, and her deep-rooted interest in South Asian religious traditions.

Eileen delves into her fascination with the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava tradition, exploring how her research focuses on the sixteenth-century Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava movement. She offers insights into Indian religious constructions of "perfected" minds and bodies, along with her broader interests in bhakti traditions, classical Sanskrit aesthetic theory (rasa), and gender and sexuality.

The discussion also reveals the intersection of Cogen Bohanec’s own work with Eileen’s, especially in areas like philosophy of religion, yoga studies, Jain studies, and Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava studies. They touch upon Eileen’s course, "Devotional (bhakti) Approaches to Compassion in the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava Tradition," which investigates the connections between divine love, human compassion, and contemporary humanitarian efforts.

Key topics include the role of compassion in scholarship, the ethical teachings of the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava tradition, and the influential philosophies of Rūpa Gosvāmin and Jīva Gosvāmin. Gender, embodiment, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics within Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology are also thoughtfully examined, offering listeners a rich tapestry of devotional and academic insights.

Course Spotlight — 2021 | Devotional (bhakti) Approaches to Compassion in the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava Tradition — available for self-study on Monday, October 6, 2025.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• Course 2021 | Devotional (bhakti) Approaches to Compassion in the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava Tradition
• The Compassion Studies Initiative is supported by a grant from the Uberoi Foundation.

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST

Eileen Goddard is a Religious Studies Ph.D. Candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She teaches courses on Indian religious traditions and philosophies at UCSB and the University of Houston. Eileen's dissertation research focuses on the sixteenth century Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition and comparatively analyzes Indian soteriologies of perfected minds and bodies. Eileen's broader research interests include Hindu and Indian philosophies, bhakti traditions, classical Sanskrit aesthetic theory (rasa), and gender and sexuality. Eileen completed her M.A. in Religion at Rutgers University and B.A. in Philosophy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST

Cogen Bohanec currently holds the position of Assistant Professor in Sanskrit and Jain Studies at Arihanta Institute where he teaches various courses on Jain philosophy and its applications. In addition, he is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Claremont School of Theology (CST) where he teaches Sanskrit and Gujarati, and he has taught numerous classes on South Asian Culture & Religions and Sanskrit...