ABSTRACT

This book offers a contemporary approach to the study of religion in modern South Asia. It explores the development of religious ideas and practices in the region, giving students a clear and critical understanding of social, political and historical context.

  • Part One takes a fresh look at some familiar themes in the study of religion, such as deity, authoritative texts, myth, worship, teacher traditions and caste, and helps students understand diverse ways of approaching these themes.
  • Part Two focuses on some of the key ways in which Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism in South Asia have been shaped in the modern period. Overall the book considers the impact of gender, politics, and the way religion itself is variously understood.

The chapters contain a compelling range of primary source materials and a series of geographical and historical ‘snapshots’ to orientate readers to South Asia. Valuable features for students include images, task boxes, discussion points, suggestions for further reading, a timeline and glossary of terms.

part I|132 pages

Exploring Landscapes of Diversity

chapter 2|24 pages

Deity

chapter 3|21 pages

Texts and Their Authority

chapter 4|21 pages

Myth

chapter 5|22 pages

Ritual and Worship

chapter 6|24 pages

Teachers and Their Traditions

chapter 7A|18 pages

Caste: Social Relations, Cultural Formations

part II|103 pages

Shaping Modern Religious Traditions

chapter 7B|13 pages

The Confluence of Caste and Religion

chapter 8|18 pages

Encounters with the West

chapter 9|20 pages

The Construction of Religious Boundaries

chapter 10|19 pages

Public and Private Space

chapter 11|17 pages

Conflicting Paradigms

chapter 12|14 pages

Twisting the Kaleidoscope

Reflections in Conclusion