In Memoriam: Joseph Thomas O'Connell, 1940–May 6, 2012

Joseph Thomas O'Connell passed away on May 6, 2012, at the age of 72, following a brain hemorrhage.

O'Connell was a exceptional scholar who did much for the study of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. His interest in India began at a young age when he wrote a paper on Gandhi in his sophomore year at the College of the Holy Cross. O'Connell went on to earn his PhD from Harvard University, writing his dissertation on Caitanya Vaishnavism.

O'Connell was Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religion at the University of Toronto, having taught there and at St. Michael's College from 1968-2000. He served in the last decade as a visiting professor at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 1999–2000, O'Connell was the Academic Director at the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies.

For a more in-depth In Memorial, see the December 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

AAR Publications Committee Thanks Jacob Kinnard for His Years of Service

The Publications Committee hereby extends its deepest gratitude to Jacob Kinnard, Iliff School of Theology, for his decade-long service as editor of the AAR/OUP Religion, Culture, and History Series and his contributions to the collaborative work of the Publications Committee. Kinnard revitalized the series by giving it a clear rationale and a title that more accurately reflected its purpose. He also discovered some authors who shared his vision and expressed it in ways that challenged the academy and pointed to new directions for future scholarship. Kinnard now continues his service to the academy by focusing on needs closer to home. The Publications Committee recognizes this commitment by making a donation in his honor to the AAR Rocky Mountain–Great Plains Region.