Religious scholars have loosely defined Vaishnavas as those who worship Lord Vishnu or His incarnations. While this definition may be considered correct from an academic perspective, it fails to encompass the profound beauty and depth of Vaishnava philosophy and tends instead to promote a limited and perhaps, sectarian conception.
The great scholar and saint, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, who appeared in the 19th Century, described Vaishnavism as atma dharma, or the religion of the soul. He has said that if all the gross and subtle coverings of the pure spirit-soul were removed, then in its pure and uncontaminated state the natural impulses and activities of the soul would constitute pure Vaishnavism. These activities are the eternal and uninterrupted rendering of service in a mood of profound love for, and reciprocal loving exchanges with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this definition all living beings are considered Vaishnavas, which makes Vaishnavism truly all-embracing.