The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism
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An ideal resource for courses on Hinduism or world religions, this accessible volume spans the entire field of Hindu studies. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience. Comprehensively covers the textual traditions of Hinduism Features four coherent sections covering theoretical issues, textual traditions, science and philosophy, and Hindu society and politics Reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism towards tradition and regional-specific studies Includes material on Hindu folk religions and stresses the importance of region in analyzing Hinduism Ideal for use on university courses.
The Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies
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Originally published as The Continuum Companion to Hindu Studies, this Companion offers the definitive guide to Hinduism and study in this area. Now available in paperback, The Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies covers all the most pressing and important themes and categories in the field - areas that have continued to attract interest historically as well as topics that have emerged more recently as active areas of research. Specially commissioned essays from an international team of experts reveal where important work continues to be done in the field and, valuably, how the various topics intersect through detailed reading paths. Featuring a series of indispensible research tools, including a detailed list of resources, chronology and diagrams summarizing content, this is the essential tool for anyone working in Hindu Studies.
A Dictionary of Hinduism
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Covering all the major Hindu practices, festivals, beliefs, gods, sacred sites, languages, and religious texts, this is the most comprehensive Hinduism dictionary of its kind. It contains 2,800 entries on everything from Tantra to temples, from bhakti to Divali , as well as biographical entries for key thinkers, teachers, and scholars. All entries are clear, concise, up to date, and fully cross-referenced.
Encyclopedia of Hinduism
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The Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Second Edition focuses on the most significant groups within this religion, noteworthy teachers and their contributions, the religions and cultural movements that enriched its history, and the spread of Hindu thought and practice around the world.
Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction
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Hinduism is practised by eighty per cent of India's population, and by thirty million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott combines a succinct and authoritative overview of a major religion with an analysis of the challenges facing it in the twentieth century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the importance of epics such as the Ramayana. Issues such as the place of women and dalits (untouchables) in contemporary society are also addressed, making this book stimulating reading for Hindus and non-Hindus alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
A Brief Introduction to Hinduism
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With both nuance and balance, this text provides broad coverage of various forms of Hinduismwith an arresting layout with rich colors. It offers both historical overviews and modern perspectives on Hindu beliefs and practices. The user-friendly content is enhanced by charts of religious festivals, historic timelines, updated maps, and a useful glossary.
Classical Hindu Thought
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This concise and lucid book is divided into sections which deal with the key concepts of Hinduism such as karma, dharma, maya, moksa and varna and the main gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Arvind Sharma introduces contemporary readers to the texts and ideas crystallized during the "classical" period from the fourth to the tenth century BCE and explains their contemporary relevance.
Introducing Hinduism
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Introducing Hinduism is the ideal starting point for students wishing to undertake a comprehensive study of this fascinating religion. This lively introduction explores the complexities of Hinduism, including its social structures, especially its caste system, its rituals and many scriptures, its vast mythology and varieties of deities, and its religious philosophies. Hillary Rodrigues, an experienced teacher of the Hindu tradition, emphasises the importance of Hindu rituals and practice, subjects of particular interest in contemporary scholarship. Illustrated throughout, the book also includes text boxes, summary charts, a glossary and a list of further reading to aid students' understanding and revision. The accompanying webstie to this book can be found at http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415392691.
Hinduism in India: Early Period
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A major contribution toward the ongoing debates on the nature and history of Hinduism in India Hinduism in India: The Early Period covers the major thematic and historical aspects of Hinduism in ancient and medieval India, emphasising primarily on belief structures, rituals, theology, art, and myths. Although the book focuses on the period from 200 BCE to 1200 ACE, the chapters make several references to ideas and practices preceding and following this period. This is a reflection of the fact that the cultural entity named “Hinduism” has been in a process of constant change and evolution, and continues to demonstrate many recognizably ancient elements even today.
Hinduism in India: Modern and Contemporary Movements
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A major contribution toward the ongoing debates on the nature and history of Hinduism in India Is Hinduism coherent, or should it be viewed as a conglomeration of many distinctive traditions? What were (or are) its most important and central teachings? When did the idea of “Hinduism” first arise and what have been the consequences? What were the effects of British rule on the religion and what are the effects of continuing modernization? This book responds to all such debates surrounding Hinduism in the colonial and contemporary periods. It emphasizes on Hinduism as it arose and developed in the subcontinent itself—an approach which facilitates greater attention to detail and an understanding of the specific context in which new movements and changes have taken place.
Hinduism Today
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Understanding Hinduism today requires an understanding of how it is practised in the contemporary world. Stephen Jacob's new introduction tackles these central issues, beginning with case studies of the grassroots practice of Hinduism in India and in diaspora communities. He covers issues of singular importance in the modern study of Hinduism, including the importance and role of mass media to this essentially orally transmitted religion. Other major areas covered include the concept of Hindu dharma, particularly in relation to caste, gender and Hindu nationalism, key and often controversial concepts in Hinduism.
A History of Hinduism
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Or, does the story of Hinduism begin with the descriptions of the ancient roots as revealed by archaeological findings and the evidence from present day tribal, village and regional cultures? This book looks at both. The history of Brahmanas, tracing their lineage to the fifty-odd Rigvedic poets, is dealt with through the chronological ordering of the Sanskrit texts which were first handed down to us as oral narratives from Gurus to shishyas. The circumstances and purposes for which these texts were written is examined, along with events of a true historical nature. This is followed by a sequential treatment of Hinduism as a ‘Rigvedic religion’, the two Mimamsas, Buddhism, Jainism, Dharmasastras, the Epics and the Puranas. The growth of Hindu temples, the role of Adi Sankaracharya and the Bhakti movement is delved into, and the influences of Muslim and British rule of the subcontinent on Hinduism is analysed. The author explores one major reason for the survival of Hinduism—the support of prehistoric tribal and village cultures which were not modified or destroyed by the later-day Brahmanas. Much of tribal and village deities and practices were co-opted into concurrent Hinduism, so-much-so that today these cannot be separated from mainstream Hindu practices and traditions. They exist in all their colourful glory to this date and make Hinduism vibrant. It is these ancient folk religions that provide a stable foundation for the survival of Hinduism, argues author R Ramachandran, presenting in this book an all-encompassing landscape view of Hinduism as it has been for the last five thousand years. Finally, the present status of Hinduism is discussed along with its survival in the future.
Modern Hinduism
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In this volume, experts on modern Hinduism have been asked to write chapters that present findings and perspectives from their own research to a wide audience of readers with interest in the fascinating processes of transformation arising from the interaction between the cultural and religious life of Hindus and the great forces that we call ‘modernity’. No single volume can come close to capturing the totality of modern Hinduism, and the editor has made choices limiting the focus to three broad topics of particular importance. First, there are chapters about the historical emergence of modern forms of Hinduism, where we meet some of the reformers and movements that defined Hinduism in early modern times and during the colonial period. Secondly, there are chapters about new forms and new locations of Hinduism covering such topics as Hinduism on the Internet and New Age Hinduism; there is also a chapter about Hinduism in the diaspora, which is a topic covered more thoroughly by a separate volume in the book series. Thirdly, there is a section about ethics, politics, and law, with chapters covering important topics such as nationalism, caste, and legal reforms in India and in the Hindu-majority country of Nepal.
The Book of Miracles
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A collection of stories about the fabled miracle workers of religion includes wellknown tales such as Jesus walking on water and multiplying food, as well as discussing traditions relating to the Sufi mystics and Hindu and Buddhist saints. By the author of Making Saints.
Christianity at the Religious Roundtable
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Argues that Christian dialogue with other faiths is an integral part of our call to proclaim the message of Christ.
The Hindu Mind
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Hinduism is the oldest surviving religion in the world. The religious and philosophical literature of Hinduism is vast, diverse and covers thousands of years of accumulated spiritual experiences of Hindu Saints and Seers. This book presents the fundamentals of Hindu religious and philosophical thought in a logical and straightforward manner. The purpose being, to create a story book for further study of Hinduism.
The Spirit of Hinduism
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This lucid introduction will equip all Christians seeking to reach Hindus with the gospel. Hinduism is a large, complex faith, rooted in the Indian subcontinent and finding many forms of expression. David Burnett brings together a vast array of information concerning the complex (and debated) history of Hinduism; the role of various deities (personal, family, village); the nature of Hindu worship; the role of ghosts and spirits; and the ethical constructs and the place of pilgrimage (there are thousands of shrines). For this new edition, Dr David Burnett has updated his text and added web-based resources for every chapter along with learning objectives and topics for discussion.
Tastes of the Divine : Hindu and Christian Theologies of Emotion
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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.
