Dr. Caleb Simmons (Ph.D. in Religion, University of Florida) specializes in religion in South Asia, especially Hinduism. His research specialties span religion and state-formation in medieval and colonial India to contemporary transnational aspects of Hinduism. His current book project, The King’s Devotion: Political Theology in Early Modern South India, examines how the early modern court of Mysore reenvisioned notions of kingship, territory, and religion, especially through articulations of devotion. He also has publications and continuing research interests related to a broad range of contemporary topics, including ecological issues and sacred geography in India; South Asian diaspora communities; and material and popular cultures that arise as a result of globalization—especially South Asian religions as portrayed in comic books and graphic novels. He teaches courses on Hinduism, Indian religions, and method and theory of Religious Studies.
He was a 2016-2017 Visiting Research Fellow at Käte Hamburger Kolleg at Ruhr Universität-Bochum in Germany.