Hinduism In The Modern World

Hinduism in the Modern World presents a new and unprecedented attempt to survey the nature, range, and significance of modern and contemporary Hinduism in South Asia and the global diaspora. Organized to reflect the direction of recent scholarly research, this volume breaks with earlier texts on this subject by seeking to overcome a misleading dichotomy between an elite, intellectualist modern Hinduism and the rest of what has so often been misleadingly termed traditional or popular Hinduism. Without neglecting the significance of modern reformist visions of Hinduism, this book reconceptualizes the meaning of modern Hinduism both by expanding its content and by situating its expression within a larger framework of history, ethnography, and contemporary critical theory. This volume equips undergraduate readers with the tools necessary to appreciate the richness and diversity of Hinduism as it has developed during the past two centuries. Review: I have to say that I find this book to be among the best. The insistence on examining modernity is crucial and it is done very well... I would most assuredly use this book for my class on modern Hinduism and I expect that many other teachers will as well. Ariel Glucklich, Georgetown University, USA Finally! Here is a collection of essays on Hindus in the modern world that takes full account of the rich and complicated range of their beliefs, practices, and experiences. These essays explore modern Hinduism as something simultaneously historical and reformed, ancient and contemporary, Indian and global. This is exactly the kind of comprehensive treatment of Hindu modernity that students have long needed. Richard Davis, Bard College, USA Hinduism in the Modern World brings together a group of excellent essays which reflect current scholarship on the diversity of Hinduism in its modernities within India and its worldwide distribution. Paul B. Courtright, Emory University, USA