Dr. Christopher Austin

Biography

Born and raised in Montreal, Christopher Austin holds BA and MA degrees in Religious Studies from Concordia University and a PhD in Religious Studies from McMaster University. His doctoral dissertation focused on the concluding books of the Mahabharata, a 4th century Sanskrit epic poem. He has extensively studied Sanskrit at the University of British Columbia, McMaster University, and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, India, where he undertook manuscript research on the Mahabharata commentarial literature. Before his tenure at Dalhousie University, he taught Introductory and Intermediate Sanskrit at McMaster University and explored South Asian Religions at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Since 2009, he has been teaching various undergraduate courses at Dalhousie covering major religious traditions of Southeast Asia, Sanskrit, and South Asian history. His research interests focus on the Hindu god Vishnu, particularly the manifestation of Vasudeva Krishna, utilizing key texts such as the Mahabharata and other Sanskrit literature. His recent publications include a monograph titled 'Krishna's Son: Pradyumna,' and he continues to explore the religious and social dynamics of Sanskritic culture throughout history.

Research Interests

Experience