Peter Gottschalk

Peter Gottschalk writes both about Islamophobia in the United States and about Hindu-Muslim relations in India. At the heart of his work is a fascination with the dynamics of cultural interpretation and conflict. He is interested particularly in understanding how assumptions of mutual antagonism form between groups despite evidence of commonalities.

Peter enjoys presenting on these topics and has discussed them in the U.S., Europe, Turkey, India, and Bangladesh at colleges and universities, professional conferences, public events, and religious communities. He has appeared on CNN, Voice of America, and National Public Radio, while his work has been mentioned in USA Today and the On Faith website of The Washington Post. His books have been reviewed, among other places, in The New York Times and The Times Literary Supplement.

Peter is Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University. He received his B.A. in History at the College of the Holy Cross, his M.A. in South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Ph.D. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago.