Rodney Sebastian, Ph.D.

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Assistant Professor
Theology and Religious Studies
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Ph.D., University of FloridaM.A., National University of SingaporeB.A., (Hons 1st Class) Curtin University of Technology, AustraliaB.A., National University of Singapore

Rodney Sebastian is an Assistant Professor from the Theology and Religious Studies Department at St. John's University. He is an educator and scholar on Asian Religions, teaching courses on religion in India and China. His main area of research is on the intersection of politics, religion, and aesthetics in the Northeast Indian state of Manipur. In his PhD dissertation submitted at the University of Florida, he examined the sociopolitical structures and religious history that produced the Manipuri Rāsalīlā dance dramas. He is also interested in themes of governance and statecraft articulated in classical Asian texts.

Having lived in Singapore before moving to the United States, and completing a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology, he has published a number of articles on contemporary state-religion relations in Singapore. He is passionate about sharing his exposure to religious practices, cultural traditions, and perspectives from South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. He is a also part of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa Research Project, hosted by the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies. Besides academic work, Dr. Sebastian is interested in promoting interfaith dialogue to foster greater understanding and peace.

Dr. Sebastian uses a multidisciplinary approach for his research that combines anthropological fieldwork, archival research, and textual studies. His research and pedagogy inform each other. In his classes, he includes textual analysis, fieldtrips, community engagement and feature various high-impact learning practices to foster student involvement and participation.

THE 2830 Introduction to Hinduism

THE 2840 Introduction to Buddhism

Journal Articles

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2022.   ‘Women’s Rāslīlā and Saṅkīrtana: The Enduring Legacy of Manipur’s Sija Laiobi." Journal of Vaishnava Studies 28(2).

2021.   ‘Refashioning Kingship in Manipur in the 18th Century: The Politico-Religious Projects of Garibniwaz and Bhāgyacandra.’ Religions, 12, 1041.

2019.  ‘Cultural Fusion in a Religious Dance Drama: the Sociopolitical Origins of the Manipuri Rāsalīlās.’ Journal of Vaishnava Studies, 27 (2), 75-94.

2008.   ‘Hare Krishnas in Singapore: Agency, State and Hinduism.’ SOJOURN, 23(1), 63-86. Co-authored with with Ashwin Parameswaran.
2007.   'Who is a Brahmin in Singapore?' Modern Asian Studies, 41(2), 253-286. Co-authored with with Ashwin Parameswaran.
2007.   ‘Conversion and the Family: Chinese Hare Krishnas.' Journal of Contemporary Religion, 22 (3), 341-359. Co-authored with Ashwin Parameswaran.
2006.   'Doing business in India' New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, 8(1), 17-40. Co-authored with Ashvin Parameswaran and Faizal Yahya.
2006.   'The value of ranking South and Southeast Asian Studies Journals' Serials Review, 32(3), 263-276. Co-authored with  Ashwin Parameswaran.
2005.   'Tourism and the South Asia Littoral: Voices from the Maldives.' South Asia, 28(3), 457-480. Co-authored with Faizal Yahya and Ashvin Parameswaran.
2005.   'The Economic Cost of Tourism in the Maldives ' Tourism: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 54(1), 33-44. Co-authored with Faizal Yahya, Ashvin Parameswaran, and Inaz Ahmed.

Book Chapters

2018.   "Reverse Pilgrimage": Performance, Manipuri Identity, and the Ranganiketan Cultural Arts Troupe. In J. Whalen-Bridge & A. M. Pinkney (Eds.), Religious Journeys in India. New York: SUNY.

2014.   "Performing Identities: State-ISKCON Interactions in Singapore." In M. Feener & J. K. Finucane (Eds.). Proselytizing and the Limits of Religious Pluralism in an Era of Globalization (Vol. 4, pp. 147 – 169). Springer Singapore: Asia Research Institute