The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism
Blackwell Companions to Religion
2. Edition June 2022
656 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
An accessible and up-to-date survey of scholarly thinking about Hinduism, perfect for courses on Hinduism or world religions
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism examines the historical trajectories that have led to the modern religion of Hinduism. Covering main themes such as philosophy, practice, society, and science, this comprehensive volume brings together a variety of approaches and perspectives in Hindu Studies to help readers better appreciate the richness, complexity, and diversity of Hinduism. Essays by acknowledged experts in the field present historical accounts of all major traditions, analyze key texts, engage with Hindu theology and philosophy, address contemporary questions of colonialism and identity, and more. Throughout the text, the authors highlight the links, common threads, and issues that reoccur in the history of Hinduism.
Fully revised and updated, the second edition of the Companion incorporates the most recent scholarship and reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism. New chapters examine the Goddess tradition, Hindu diaspora, Hinduism and inter-religious comparison, Hindu philosophy, and Indian astronomy, medicine, language, and mathematics. This edition places further emphasis on the importance of region-specific studies in analyzing Hinduism, discusses important theoretical issues, and offers fresh perspectives on current discourse in Hindu society and politics.
* Provides a thorough overview of major texts, their histories, and the traditions that preserve them
* Describes the major textual traditions in Sanskrit with examples in different Indian vernacular languages
* Addresses major issues and contemporary debates about the nature and study of Hinduism
* Discusses the importance of systematic, rational thinking in Indian sciences, philosophy, and theology
* Examines key socio-political themes in Hinduism that are of particular relevance to the modern world
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Second Edition is an excellent text for undergraduate courses on Hinduism in Religious Studies and Philosophy departments, and an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in Hindu Studies.
About the Editor xii
Preface to the First Edition and Acknowledgements xiii
Preface to the Second Edition xv
Introduction: Establishing the Boundaries xvi
Gavin Flood
Part I Theoretical Issues 1
1 Colonialism and the Construction of Hinduism 3
Gauri Viswanathan
2 Orientalism and Hinduism 21
David Smith
Part II Text and Tradition 37
The Sanskrit Textual Traditions 39
3 Vedas and Upanisads 41
Michael Witzel
4 The Dharma[stras 69
Ludo Rocher
5 The Sanskrit Epics 81
John Brockington
6 The Puranas 92
Freda Matchett
7 The Bhagavad Gita: Genesis of the Text, Its Messages, and Its Impact on the Mahbhrata and on Indian Religions and Philosophy 105
Mislav Jezic
Textual Traditions in Regional Languages 129
8 Tamil Hindu Literature 131
Norman Cutler
9 The Literature of Hinduism in Malayalam 143
Rich Freeman
10 North Indian Hindi Devotional Literature 163
Nancy M. Martin
Major Historical Developments 179
11 The Zaiva Traditions 181
Gavin Flood
12 History of Vaisnava Traditions: An Esquisse 209
Gerard Colas
13 Hinduism and the Goddess: Zkta Traditions 245
Bjarne Wernicke-Olesen
14 The Householder Tradition in Hindu Society 275
T.N. Madan
15 The Renouncer Tradition 290
Patrick Olivelle
Regional Traditions 305
16 The Teyyam Tradition of Kerala 307
Rich Freeman
17 The Month of Krtik and Women's Ritual Devotions to Krishna in Benares 323
Tracy Pintchman
18 Hindu Diasporas and Gods on the Move: Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage in Hindu Europe 338
Knut A. Jacobsen
Part III Systematic Thought 353
The Indian Sciences 355
19 Introduction 357
Frits Staal
20 The Science of Language 359
Frits Staal
21 Indian Mathematics 370
Takao Hayashi
22 Calendar, Astrology, and Astronomy 384
Michio Yano
23 The Science of Medicine 399
Dominik Wujastyk
Philosophy and Theology 415
24 The Classical Worldview: Early Foundations of Hindu Philosophy 417
Jessica Frazier
25 Hinduism and the Proper Work of Reason 448
Jonardon Ganeri
26 Restoring "Hindu Theology" as a Category in Indian Intellectual Discourse 479
Francis Clooney SJ
27 Mantra 505
Andre Padoux
28 Realism and Non-Realism in Indian Philosophy 517
Ionut Moise
29 Hinduism Compared 536
Reid B. Locklin
Part IV Society, Politics, and Nation 551
30 On the Relationship between Caste and Hinduism 553
Declan Quigley
31 Modernity, Reform, and Revival 565
Dermot Killingley
32 The Goddess and the Nation: Subterfuges of Antiquity, the Cunning of Modernity 580
Sumathi Ramaswamy
33 Gender in a Devotional Universe 595
Vasudha Narayanan
Index 612
