Reconstructing tradition

"Advaita Acarya was one of the leading figures in the genesis of the Bengali Vaisnava movement in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In this study, Rebecca Manring examines the ways in which Advaita's followers used his life story to define, preserve, and reconstruct a political and religious movement. Manring's detailed readings of Middle Bengali and Sanskrit texts reveal the evolving hagiographical traditions concerning Advaita. Her work also presents new perspectives on theological issues within the Bengali Vaisnava tradition, the role of sacred biography, and the religious history of South Asia."--BOOK JACKET.