Alf Hiltebeitel is a grown-up person who studies and writes about stories that people believe in, like the stories in Hinduism, which is a type of religion that lots of people in India follow.
He is really good at understanding how these stories are made and why people like them. He spends a lot of time reading and talking to people who know a lot about these stories, so he can explain them to other grown-ups in a way that makes sense.
Imagine you really like listening to your favorite fairy tale. Alf Hiltebeitel studies and writes about stories that are like fairy tales, but for grown-ups who believe in religion.