Rethinking Religion in India

The Colonial Construction of Hinduism

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Rethinking Religion in India by , Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781135182786
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: December 24, 2009
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781135182786
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: December 24, 2009
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book critically assesses recent debates about the colonial construction of Hinduism. Increasingly scholars have come to realise that the dominant understanding of Indian culture and its traditions is unsatisfactory. According to the classical paradigm, Hindu traditions are conceptualized as features of a religion with distinct beliefs, doctrines, sacred laws and holy texts. Today, however, many academics consider this conception to be a colonial ‘construction’. This book focuses on the different versions, arguments and counter-arguments of the thesis that the Hindu religion is a construct of colonialism. Bringing together the different positions in the debate, it provides necessary historical data, arguments and conceptual tools to examine the argument. Organized in two parts, the first half of the book provides new analyses of historical and empirical data; the second presents some of the theoretical questions that have emerged from the debate on the construction of Hinduism. Where some of the contributors argue that Hinduism was created as a result of a western Christian notion of religion and the imperatives of British colonialism, others show that this religion already existed in pre-colonial India; and as an alternative to these standpoints, other writers argue that Hinduism only exists in the European experience and does not correspond to any empirical reality in India. This volume offers new insights into the nature of the construction of religion in India and will be of interest to scholars of the History of Religion, Asian Religion, Postcolonial and South Asian Studies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book critically assesses recent debates about the colonial construction of Hinduism. Increasingly scholars have come to realise that the dominant understanding of Indian culture and its traditions is unsatisfactory. According to the classical paradigm, Hindu traditions are conceptualized as features of a religion with distinct beliefs, doctrines, sacred laws and holy texts. Today, however, many academics consider this conception to be a colonial ‘construction’. This book focuses on the different versions, arguments and counter-arguments of the thesis that the Hindu religion is a construct of colonialism. Bringing together the different positions in the debate, it provides necessary historical data, arguments and conceptual tools to examine the argument. Organized in two parts, the first half of the book provides new analyses of historical and empirical data; the second presents some of the theoretical questions that have emerged from the debate on the construction of Hinduism. Where some of the contributors argue that Hinduism was created as a result of a western Christian notion of religion and the imperatives of British colonialism, others show that this religion already existed in pre-colonial India; and as an alternative to these standpoints, other writers argue that Hinduism only exists in the European experience and does not correspond to any empirical reality in India. This volume offers new insights into the nature of the construction of religion in India and will be of interest to scholars of the History of Religion, Asian Religion, Postcolonial and South Asian Studies.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation by
Cover of the book Cultural Approaches To Parenting by
Cover of the book World Class Schools by
Cover of the book The Gibbons of Khao Yai by
Cover of the book Sandplay by
Cover of the book Time, Culture and Identity by
Cover of the book A Sustainable Future for the Mediterranean by
Cover of the book The National Black Independent Party by
Cover of the book Talking to Adults by
Cover of the book Efficiency and Justice in the Industrial World: v. 2: The Uneasy Success of Postwar Europe by
Cover of the book The Routledge Research Companion to the Medieval Icelandic Sagas by
Cover of the book Shaping Church Law Around the Year 1000 by
Cover of the book Redefining European Economic Governance by
Cover of the book Battles Over Free Trade, Volume 1 by
Cover of the book Putting the Poor First by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy