Areas of Expertise
Professor Bauman grew up in eastern Pennsylvania before going to Goshen College, in Northern Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree. After college Professor Bauman went to Princeton Theological Seminary and earned both an M.Div. and Ph.D. degree.

Contributions: (published works or studies, conference presentations)
Professor Bauman’s earliest research focused on the interaction of low-caste Christians and Hindus in colonial Chhattisgarh, a state in India where he lived for several months in 2004. He has published articles on the topic in the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies and elsewhere. His book, Christian Identity and Dalit Religion in Hindu India, 1868-1947, was released by Eerdmans Publishers in 2008, and won the prize for Best Book in Hindu-Christian Studies, 2006-2008, from the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies.

Professor Bauman has also conducted research on Sathya Sai Baba, a popular, miracle-working Indian guru with an international following that extends even to the city of Indianapolis. And he is currently at work on a book about Hindu-Christian violence with support from a grant from the Center for Religion and Civic Culture (at the University of Southern California) and the Templeton Foundation.

Butler Assignment (classes or work duties)
Professor Bauman teaches introductory surveys of the world’s religions as well as upper-level courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. He has recently taught topical courses such as “Religion, Politics and Conflict in South Asia,” “Religion, Gender, and the Goddess in Asia,” and “Theory and Method in the Study of Religion.” Students in his “Religions of the World” course have developed a website on religion in Indianapolis (www.butler.edu/cfv/religions).

Education/Degrees

• B.A., Goshen College,
  
• M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary,
• Ph.D, Princeton Theological Seminary

Association Memberships (professional/educational)
Professor Bauman is a member of the American Academy of Religion, where he is co-founding chair of the North American Hinduism Consultation. He is also on the executive board of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies.