Elaine Craddock's arrival at Southwestern in 1994 marked the beginning of what might be considered an "overhaul" of the religion department. Previously, the department's curriculum focused on the Judeo-Christian tradition with a faculty that included three men, all ordained Methodist ministers, and the University Chaplain serving as chair.

Craddock brought an extensive understanding of Asian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism as well as a passion for feminist studies. "We have evolved into what I consider to be a full-fledged comparative religion program with a strong, broad curriculum," she says. "As an academic institution, we must strive to represent as many of the world's religions as possible."

Many students have misperceptions or don't fully understand the study of religion, she says. "In this country, some people have trouble distinguishing the academic study of religion, which is interdisciplinary much like the study of history, from one's own religious beliefs. It's an intriguing subject because it raises huge questions about our lives, and no matter where you are coming from, religion is personal at some level."

While she grew up in a Methodist home and says that Hinduism and Buddhism have enriched her sense of the world, if students ask about her beliefs, she tells them that her beliefs don't fit neatly into any single category.

Besides her courses on Hinduism and Buddhism, Craddock enjoys teaching classes that are cross-listed with feminist studies: "Women and Goddesses" and "Desire and the Body in Religious Discourse."

"Feminist studies explores power and embraces all issues of oppression. It is a way of exploding all types of assumptions." She has served on the Feminist Studies Committee for years and feels like that is her "home" committee--"it supports and strengthens the research and teaching I do the most consistently."

A native of Denver, Craddock studied religion at Smith College, a women's college in Massachusetts, where she first became involved in the feminist movement. Following graduation, she moved to India for a year to study language before returning to attend graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley. There she earned a Ph.D. in South Asian Studies, spent two more years in India and taught in the department.

"I knew early on that I wanted to teach because I was captivated by thinking and learning. Studying India, a culture that is in many ways completely opposite from our own, allows me to look at things from a different perspective and ask better questions about the society I live in."

Craddock spent the fall of 2001 on sabbatical in India studying and translating 6th Century devotional poetry to the god Siva. The works of the female Tamil poet, Karaíkkal Ammaiyar, detail many of the precursors to modern Hindu practices. Craddock continues her work on the translations, spending most of the summer working on them. She says she hopes to turn her research into a book, but she's not sure when the sizable project will be complete.

The timing of her trip also meant she was overseas on September 11. "I was in ChennAi (in southern India) when I heard the news of the attacks. It was a very supportive city because many there have friends and family in the U.S. I felt very far from danger, but I was concerned about when I would be able to return home." She flew back in November.

Craddock lives in Austin with her partner, four cats and a dog. She lists traveling among her favorite hobbies, and she spent time this summer in Mexico, partly to prepare for a first year seminar course she's calling "You Are What You Eat: Religious Conceptions of Food," as well as her pilgrimage course.

"I think it's important to visit other cultures," she says. "Traveling is the best education there is."