>Chris the speller at 00:23, 12 September 2021

2021-09-12T00:23:36Z

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{{Short description|Austrian theologian (born 1940)}}
{{Infobox philosopher
|name = Bettina Sharada Bäumer
|image = Bettina Baeumer1.jpg
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|04|12|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Salzburg, Austria
|alma_mater = [[University of Salzburg]]<br />[[University of Munich]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]])
|main_interests = [[Kashmir Shaivism]]
|occupation = [[Indologist]]
|nationality = Indian
|awards = [[Austrian Decoration for Science and Art]] (2012) <br /> [[Padma Shri]] (2015)
|website = {{URL|http://www.utpaladeva.in}}
}}

'''Bettina Sharada Bäumer''' (born 12 April 1940) is an Austrian [[Religious studies|scholar of religion]]. Vandana Parthasarathy, writing in [[The Hindu]], described Baumer as a "renowned [[Indologist]], one of the foremost expounders of [[Kashmir Saivism]] and a well-known figure in the field of inter-religious dialogue".<ref name="Hindu-20060808">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/br/2006/08/08/stories/2006080800311300.htm|title=Themes in art and mysticism|last=Parthasarathy|first=Vanamala|date=2006-08-08|publisher=The Hindu|access-date=9 April 2012|location=Chennai}}</ref> She was awarded the [[Austrian Decoration for Science and Art]] by Government of Austria in 2012 and [[Padma Shri]] by Government of India in 2015 for her contribution to Literature and Education.

==Early life and education==
She was born in [[Salzburg]] on 12 April 1940 to Prof. Eduard Baumer and Valerie Baumer and secured her High School Leaving Certificate ([[Matura]]) in [[Salzburg]] in 1959. She pursued higher studies in Philosophy, Religion, Theology and Music at the Universities of Salzburg, [[Wien]], [[Zurich]], [[Rome]] and [[Munich]] between 1959 and 1967. Her Ph.D. thesis ''Creation as Play: The concept of Lila in Hinduism, its Philosophical and Theological Significance'' was presented the University of Munich where she secured her doctorate of philosophy in 1967.<ref name="UnSa"/>

==Career==
She was appointed a professor at the Institute for the Study of Religions, University of Vienna in 1997 and in 2002 gained a doctorate ''[[honoris causa]]'' from the University of Salzburg, the first to do so from the university's Faculty of Theology.<ref name="UnSa">{{cite web|url=https://www.sbg.ac.at/syt/CV/baeumer-CV-sik.pdf|title=Frau Prof. Dr.h.c. Bettina Bäumer, Curriculum Vitae:|publisher=Universitat Salzburg|access-date=3 April 2012|location=Salzburg, Austria}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

She has lived in India for over four decades, having found "belonging in Hinduism" and is quoted as emphasising that; "getting to know another religion does not permit using it as a quarry to be mined"<ref name="CheethamWinkler2011">{{cite book|author1=David Cheetham|author2=Ulrich Winkler|author3=Oddbjorn Leirvik|author4=Judith Gruber|title=Interreligious Hermeneutics in Pluralistic Europe: Between Texts and People|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-VVzTtuGukC&pg=PA249|access-date=3 April 2012|date=22 April 2011|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=978-90-420-3337-5}}</ref> She conducted post-doctoral research in Indian philosophy and [[Sanskrit]] at [[Banaras Hindu University]] ([[Varanasi]]),where she worked as an assistant and lecturer, under a reciprocal scholarship from the government of India.<ref name="Bayerová2010">{{cite book|author=Tatjana Bayerová|title=Heritage Conservation and Research in India: 60 Years of Indo-Austrian Collaboration|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AqDKSZUEi6gC&pg=PA46|access-date=10 April 2012|year=2010|publisher=Böhlau Verlag Wien|isbn=978-3-205-78561-3|pages=46–}}</ref> She has done field work in Orissa.

She worked in the [[University of Vienna]] ([[Indology]]) and as director of the Research of the [[Alice Boner|Alice Bonner]] Foundation for Fundamental Research in Indian Art and has been a visiting professor at [[University of Vienna]], [[University of Salzburg]] and the [[University of Berne]].<ref name="Bayerová2010" /> She has been honorary co-ordinator of the Kalatattvakosa programme, and editor of ''Kalatattvakosa: a Lexicon of Fundamental Concepts of the Indian Arts'', respectively conducted and published by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.<ref name="VatsyayanBäumer1988">{{cite book|author1=Kapila Vatsyayan|author2=Bettina Bäumer|author3=Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts|title=Kalātattvakośa: a lexicon of fundamental concepts of the Indian arts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q1XoNhUrP1MC&pg=PR8|access-date=10 April 2012|year=1988|publisher=Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi|isbn=978-81-208-0584-2|pages=viii}}</ref> She has been a fellow at the [[Harvard University]] and at the [[Indian Institute of Advanced Study]], [[Shimla]]. In 2009 she was director of ''Samvidalaya'' at the Abhinavagupta Research Library, Varanasi. She was the co-chairperson of the fifteenth [[World Sanskrit Conference]], held in [[New Delhi]] in 2012.<ref name="IASS-20121">{{cite web|url=http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/iassn11.pdf|title=NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SANSKRIT STUDIES|last=Brockington|first=John|year=2012|publisher=IASS|access-date=13 April 2012|location=New Delhi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501083708/http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/iassn11.pdf|archive-date=2012-05-01|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|24}}

==Abhinavagupta's hermeneutics==
Surekha Dhaleta, in an article in the [[Times of India]], described her as passionate about Kashmir Shaivism, as manifest in the commentaries of its leading commentator [[Abhinavagupta]]. She quotes Dr. Baumer thus; "There is a lot of misrepresentation and misunderstanding about [[tantra]], which forms the core of Kashmir Shaivism and has been generally misunderstood as black magic or witchcraft. Tantra is fascinating and is very rich and beautiful and related to practical life. It speaks about cosmic energies. The book ''Abhinavagupta's Hermeneutics of the Absolute: Annutraprakriya, an interpretation of his Paratrisika Vivarana'' aims to present tantra and its interpretation in a scholarly way. I would appeal to youngsters to not see Hindu philosophy with dry speculation as it is very rich in knowledge and a great repository of traditions". The book provides extensive translations, commentary and in-depth interpretation of Abhinavgupta's theories.<ref name="TOI-20110327">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-27/india/29194161_1_iias-kashmir-shaivism-institute-of-advanced-studies|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103071125/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-27/india/29194161_1_iias-kashmir-shaivism-institute-of-advanced-studies|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-03|title=Exploring Kashmiri Shaivism|last=Dhaleta|first=Surekha|date=2011-03-27|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://bettina.baeumer.wissweb.at// Personal web site]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumer, Bettina}}
[[Category:Austrian Indologists]]
[[Category:Hindu studies scholars]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Writers from Salzburg]]
[[Category:University of Salzburg alumni]]
[[Category:University of Vienna faculty]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education]]

Bettina Baumer - Revision history

>Chris the speller at 00:23, 12 September 2021