The Life Of Hinduism

Book Summary

"Hawley and Narayanan have shaped the presentation of this volume in an elegant, graceful way; the framework is brilliant, original, and compelling. These articles are very accessible, informative, diverse, and complex in argumentation. The collection of readings, carefully sifted from the repertoire of books and articles over the past generation, brings together items that are factually accurate and just great reads in their own right."--Paul B. Courtright, co-editor, "From the Margins of Hindu Marriage: Essays in Gender, Religion, and Culture" "The Life of Hinduism "brings together a series of essays--many recognized as classics in the field--that present Hinduism as a vibrant, truly "lived" religion. Celebrating the diversity for which Hinduism is known, this volume begins its journey in the "new India" of Bangalore, India's Silicon Valley, where global connections and local traditions rub shoulders daily. Readers are then offered a glimpse into the multifaceted world of Hindu worship, life-cycle rites, festivals, performances, gurus, and castes. The book's final sections deal with the Hinduism that is emerging in diasporic North America and with issues of identity that face Hindus in India and around the world: militancy versus tolerance and the struggle between owning one's own religion and sharing it with others.

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