The term bhakti has been usually translated as "devotion" in Orientalist literature.Karen Pechilis Prentiss (2014), The Embodiment of Bhakti, Oxford University Press, , pages 15-24 The colonial era authors variously described Bhakti as a form of mysticism or "primitive" religious devotion of lay people with monotheistic parallels.Paul Carus, , pages 514-515DG Mandelbaum (1966), Transcendental and Pragmatic Aspects of Religion, American Anthropologist, 68(5), pages 1174–1191DC Scott (1980), Hindu and Christian Bhakti: A Common Human Response to the Sacred, Indian Journal of Theology, 29(1), pages 12-32 However, modern scholars state "devotion" is a misleading and incomplete translation of bhakti.
The term bhakti has been usually translated as "devotion" in Orientalist literatureKaren Pechilis Prentiss (2014) The Embodiment of Bhakti Oxford University Press  pages 15-24 The colonial era authors variously described Bhakti as a form of mysticism or "primitive" religious devotion of lay people with monotheistic parallelsPaul Carus  pages 514-515DG Mandelbaum (1966) Transcendental and Pragmatic Aspects of Religion American Anthropologist 68(5) pages 1174–1191DC Scott (1980) Hindu and Christian Bhakti A Common Human Response to the Sacred Indian Journal of Theology 29(1) pages 12-32 However modern scholars state "devotion" is a misleading and incomplete translation of bhakti