About the Book:Although ecstasy has been explored in several Indian contexts, surprisingly little scholarship has been devoted to its central role in Bengali devotion. In The Madness of the Saints, June McDaniel undertakes the first comprehensive study of religious ecstasy in Bengal, examining the texts that describe it, the people who experience it, and the traditions that support it.About the Author: June McDaniel is assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.