Dr. Slouber is Associate Professor of South Asia at Western Washington University.  He is the author of Early Tantric Medicine: Snakebite, Mantras, and Healing in the Gāruḍa Tantras, and the editor of A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses, coming out in 2020 with UC Press.

Publications

  • “Ferocity and Violence in the Bhūta Tantras.” In Serbaeva, O. (ed.) Transgression and Encounters with the Terrible in Buddhist and Śaiva Tantras. (accepted for publication)
  • Two translations in Salguero, Pierce (ed.) Buddhism and Medicine: An Anthology of Premodern Sources, Columbia University Press (2017): “The Buddha’s Past Life as a Snakebite Doctor (Visavantajātaka)” and “Tantric Medicine in a Buddhist Proto-Tantra (Mañjuśriyamūlakalpa 40).”
  • “The Herbal Arsenal and Fetid Foods: The Power of Plants in Early Tantric Exorcism Rituals” in Ferrari, F. and Dahnhardt, T. Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion: Plant Life in South Asian Religions and Culture. London: Equinox, 145–164 (2016).
  • Dictionary entries “Bhūta Tantra” and “Bāla Tantra” in Goodall, D. and Rastelli, M. (ed.) Tāntrikābhidhānakośa IV. Wien: VÖAW (forthcoming).
  • “The Venomous Virgin: Fact or Fantasy?” in Wexler, P. (ed.) History of Toxicology: Toxicology in Antiquity.  Elsevier: Waltham, MA (2014).
  • “The Power of Garuda” in Winkel, K. (ed.) Venom: Fear, Fascination and Discovery. Medical History Museum, University of Melbourne (2013).
  • “Carrying God: Merely a Mount or Independent Deity?” Journal of Vaishnava Studies, Vol. 21, No.1 (Fall 2012).
  • “Vulnerability and Protection in the Śaiva Tantras.” In Goodall and Filliozat (eds.) Mélanges tantriques à la mémoire d’N.R. Bhatt (forthcoming).
  • “Snakebite Goddesses in the Shakta Traditions: Roots and Incorporations of Tvaritā, Bheruṇḍā, and Kurukullā.” In Flood and Olesen (eds.) Shakta Traditions (forthcoming).
  • “The Trotala: Edition and Translation of Tvaritāmūlasūtra 1” in Vasudeva (ed.) Śivasudhāprapāpālikā (forthcoming).
  • “The Manuscripts of the Kriyākālaguṇottara.” NGMCP Newsletter #5 2007

Book Reviews

  • Language of the Snakes: Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language
    Order of Premodern India by Andrew Ollett. In International Journal of Hindu Studies (accepted for publication).
  • Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets: Medicine and Martial Arts in South
    India by Roman Sieler. In International Journal of Hindu Studies Vol.
    22(3).
  • Toxic Histories: Poison and Pollution in Modern India by David
    Arnold. In Asian Medicine: Tradition and Modernity 13: 345–347 (2018).
  • Lord Śiva’s Song by Andrew Nicholson. International Journal of Hindu Studies 19, 3: 352–354 (2015).
  • Well-mannered Medicine by Dagmar Wujastyk. International Journal of Hindu Studies 21, 1: 138–139 (2017).

Other Academic Output

Education

  • Ph.D., UC Berkeley 2012 [abstract]
  • MA in Indologie, Universität Hamburg, Germany, 2011 [PDF]
  • MA in South and Southeast Asian Studies, UC Berkeley 2007 [PDF]
  • BA in Religious Studies (magna cum laude), UC Davis 2005