Arguably, contemporary philosophy of religion lacks appropriate language for speaking of (or to) local gods. Monotheistic theologies would struggle to accommodate even the notion of a local divinity. Holistic spiritualities like perennialism, pantheism, or deism may seem more egalitarian at first but ultimately render local gods as various manifestations or avatars of a greater whole, thus reducing difference to sameness in the end. In this talk, I survey several South and East Asian traditions in search of better language for taking up the specificity and locality of divinity as a site of philosophical engagement. In turn, I hope this exercise in global-critical philosophy of religion has something to offer environmental thought to support its ongoing engagement with lands and places, Indigenous traditions, and more-than-human ecologies.

Please join us in ENV 120 or via Zoom at https://unt.zoom.us/j/83282574722.