Reading, Writing, and Reclaiming: Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the Modernization of Gaudiya Vaishnavism

Abstract

The article "Reading, Writing, and Reclaiming: Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the Modernization of Gaudiya Vaishnavism" by Jason D. Fuller explores how Bhaktivinoda Thakura strategically utilized print culture to redefine and revitalize Gaudiya Vaishnavism during colonial Bengal. Fuller examines the shift from communal, oral traditions to private, silent reading practices, framing Bhaktivinoda's engagement with the press as both a modernizing force and a reclamation of indigenous authority. The essay situates this transformation within the broader context of the bhadralok’s cultural negotiations with colonial modernity.