14. Amanda Lucia | White Utopias, Yoga, and Transformational Festivals

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Amanda Lucia about her new
book, White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational
Festivals (2020, UC Press). We discuss transformational festivals
in California, the nature of religious exoticism, white
possessivism, and cultural appropriation in North American yoga
and bhakti communities.

Speaker Bio

Amanda Lucia is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at
the University of California-Riverside. Her research engages the
global exportation, appropriation, and circulation of Hinduism.
She is author of White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of
Transformational Festivals (October 2020), which investigates the
intersections of whiteness and religious exoticism among the
“spiritual, but not religious” at transformational festivals,
such as Bhakti Fest, Wanderlust, Lightning in a Bottle, and
Burning Man, with a particular focus on yoga practice. Her
previous publications include Reflections of Amma: Devotees in a
Global Embrace (2014) and numerous articles. She is currently
crafting a body of research on sexual abuse in guru-led religious
communities.



Links


https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520376953/white-utopias

https://www.amandajeanlucia.com

https://ucriverside.academia.edu/AmandaLucia