Encountering Kali – In the Margins, at the Center, in the West

Back cover of book Encountering Kali By Rachal Fell McDermott
Back cover of book Encountering Kali By Rachal Fell McDermott

Encountering Kali – In the Margins, at the Center, in the West

A$30

Encountering Kali: In the Margins, at the Center, in the West is a 2003 scholarly anthology edited by Rachel Fell McDermott and Jeffrey J. Kripal, exploring the multifaceted figure of the Hindu goddess Kali across South Asian and Western contexts.

A groundbreaking anthology exploring the Hindu goddess Kali across South Asian and Western contexts. This volume brings together textual analysis, feminist critique, psychoanalytic theory, and visual culture to examine Kali’s evolving role in religion, politics, and art. Contributors include leading scholars in religious studies, gender theory, and anthropology.

Condition:  In Good used condition with yellowing of first 4 pages and edgewear on the covers, slightly scuffed around the edges. Most pages clean.

  • Editors: Rachel Fell McDermott & Jeffrey J. Kripal

  • Publisher: University of California Press

  • Publication Date: May 5, 2005

  • Format: Softcover, 330 –   pages 21.7 x 14cm

  • Illustrations: 14 black and white images and one coloured

  • ISBN: 9788120820418

  • Illustrations: 14 b/w photographs, 15-line illustrations, 1 map

Encountering Kali: In the Margins, at the Center, in the West

This volume examines Kali through diverse lenses—scriptural, architectural, political, feminist, psychoanalytic, and digital. It’s divided into two major sections:

Part I: Kali in South Asian Contexts

  • Textual traditions and devotional literature
  • Temple architecture and ritual practice
  • Tantric interpretations and family values
  • Political violence and myth in Sri Lanka and Banaras

Part II: Kali in Western Settings

  • Colonial and psychoanalytic constructions
  • Feminist reinterpretations
  • Kali’s presence in digital media and film

Scholarly Significance

  • Offers cross-cultural analysis of one of Hinduism’s most complex deities
  • Features contributions from leading scholars in religion, gender studies, and anthropology
  • Suitable for academic libraries, religious studies programs, and collectors of South Asian scholarship

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