ABSTRACT
This chapter explores conceptual interconnections between three key terms in the Sikh/gurmat lexicon: śabad, Guru, and Khalsa. Acknowledging and building on established historical and religious studies, this chapter takes a different turn by adopting a more conceptual approach, presenting each of these three terms as key philosophical concepts in their own rights. The philosophical approach offers insights into the problem of authority and sovereignty as well as providing a more holistic understanding of Sikh identity as historically contingent but continuous and coherent at the same time.
