New Books Network Purana Media: Past, Present, Future - A Discussion with Elizabeth A. Cecil and Peter C. Bisschop
Dec 18, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Peter C. Bisschop, a leading voice in Puranic studies, and Elizabeth A. Cecil, expert in material culture, dive into the creation of PURANA Media, an innovative open-access journal. They explore the importance of viewing Purana beyond texts to include cultural practices and contemporary interpretations. They discuss the concept of Purana as world-making, blending temporal and spatial dimensions. The conversation highlights the journal's interdisciplinary approach and its mission to bridge the past with modern cultural narratives.
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Purana As Cultural Practice
- Purana should be treated as a cultural practice, not only as ancient texts.
- Elizabeth A. Cecil and Peter C. Bisschop argue this broadens relevance across media and disciplines.
World-Making Framework
- Purana functions as a mode of world-making across multiple media and agents.
- The editors draw on Nelson Goodman's concept to justify plural perspectives and media.
Primordial Past Is Always Present
- Purana's temporality is central: it evokes a primordial past that remains active.
- This temporality charges present practices and helps envision futures, making Purana timely.