Vlad A. Ștefănoaia

• November 2025 - present: GlocRel Full Member.
• July 2025 - present: ESIND Action Participant.
• July 2025 - present: PhD student in Religious Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Erfurt University, Germany
  [Since June 2025: Joint Supervision Agreement between LBUS and Erfurt University].
• November 2024 - June 2025: Research Assistant in the project ‘Religious transformations reflected in the religion class. Approaching contents of the history of religion and contemporary religious pluralism’ [Excellence grant funded by LBUS (Knowledge Transfer Center) & Hasso Plattner Foundation. Director and Project Manager: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Habil. Alina Pătru].
• October 2024 - present: PhD student in Religious Studies, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania.
• October 2022 - June 2024: Master's Degree in Systematic Theology, Department of Orthodox Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania.
• October 2018 - June 2022: Bachelor's Degree in Pastoral Theology, Department of Orthodox Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania.

(Re)claiming the Absolute: Examining Coomaraswamy’s Metaphysics of Indian Art.

This thesis aims to investigate Ananda Coomaraswamy's metaphysical interpretation of Indian art, expanding upon and seeking to contribute to prior studies such as the detailed examination of his concepts by Patrick Ringgenberg (2011). My objective is to further investigate Coomaraswamy's ideas by situating his system of thought within the broader intellectual framework of the twentieth century and by examining the transformations and negotiations between his ideas and the intellectual milieu of his era.

While Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) was an intellectual associated with the Guénonian Traditionalist, nonetheless, his discourse was substantially shaped by a variety of factors prior to his correspondence and encounter with Guénon in the 1930s. Coomaraswamy's idealized perspective, rooted in the romantic visions of William Morris and William Blake, manifested as an anti-modernist position intended to safeguard traditional craftsmanship. This, combined with engagements in diverse intellectual and reformist circles, produced a distinctive philosophical framework aligned with Coomaraswamy's demands on the appreciation of art. Coomaraswamy found many of his acquaintances, including the Tagores, Orientalists from the Indian Society of Oriental Art, and anti-industrialist figures in England, ultimately disappointing, leading him to propose his own metaphysically oriented perspective.

Although his unique interpretation and vision of Indian art remain an authoritative hermeneutic voice, a critical examination is essential to comprehend altogether his perennial, idealistic, and ahistorical perspective, as well as to contextualize his works within their specific historical and cultural contexts that intertwine East and West. This thesis will examine the evolving definitions of Coomaraswamy's metaphysical interpretation of Indian art while also aiming at opening a path towards further discussions on his works and contributions. 

I will primarily analyze the development of his evaluation of Indian arts as metaphysical over time, particularly whether his viewpoint experienced significant shifts during his interactions with the Western intellectuals, especially from the 1930s onward. Also, I will consider the influence of Western philosophy and various discourses on Indian art on his writings and responses concerning the nature and status of Eastern arts.

• Pătru, Alina; Lup, Oana; Ștefănoaia, Vlad A. (forthcoming). Yoga, Hinduism, and the Orthodox Christian Culture: Attitudes in Religious Education in Romania. Accepted for publication in the Review of Religious Research.