The intensity and meaningfulness of aesthetic experience have often been described in theological terms. By designating basic human emotions as rasa, a word that connotes taste, flavor, or essence, Indian aesthetic theory conceptualizes emotional states as something to be savored. At their core, emotions can be tastes of the divine. In this book, the methods of the emerging discipline of comparative theology enable the author's appreciation of Hindu texts and practices to illuminate her Christian reflections on aesthetics and emotion. Three emotions vie for prominence in the religious sphere: peace, love, and fury. Whereas Indian theorists following Abhinavagupta claim that the aesthetic emotion of peace best approximates the goal of religious experience, devotees of Krishna and medieval Christian readings of the Song of Songs argue that love communicates most powerfully with divinity. In response to the transcendence emphasized in both approaches, the book turns to fury at injustice to attend to emotion's foundations in the material realm. The implications of this constructive theology of emotion for Christian liturgy, pastoral care, and social engagement are manifold. Winner of the 2015 American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies. " Tastes of the Divine is an elegant work in comparative theology, which expands this area by focusing on the affective elements of traditions, rather than on texts alone. ... The book communicates complex ideas clearly and beautifully, making the work accessible to those who may not be specialists in comparative theology, Hinduism, or Christianity. Its discussion of fury and Dalit performance opens ways for discussions that are highly relevant today, about the appropriate forms of protest among various communities." - from the commendation by the American Academy of Religion “This work is an important contribution to the current landscape of comparative theology―where deep learning is taking place across religious lines―as it moves the discourse forward by incorporating both critical analysis and embodied practices.” ---―Jeannine Hill Fletcher, Fordham University The main thrust of her argument, and indeed the most delightful part of her book, comes toward the end in the section on 'Tastes of the Divine.' ---―C.A. Barnsley. Transylvania University, Choice Connect This book develops a theology of aesthetics and emotion that holds transcendent religious experiences of peace and love accountable to the embodied demands of justice. Michelle Voss Roberts brings theology to life as an interreligious conversation that can flourish in today's diverse communities. As Principal and Professor of Theology at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, she supports an emerging generation of leaders who approach religious and other differences with curiosity and respect. Her scholarship creates new inroads into traditional doctrines through collaboration with other scholars (Comparing Faithfully: Insights for Systematic Theological Reflection) and award-winning works of comparative theology (Dualities: A Theology of Difference; Tastes of the Divine: Hindu and Christian Theologies of Emotion). Her most recent project, Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology (Fortress Press) is inspired by Kashmir Saiva Hindu views of the body to integrate neglected dimensions of human being into a Christian theological anthropology. Learn more at michellevossroberts.com