Product Description
An ideal resource for courses on Hinduism or world religions, this accessible volume spans the entire field of Hindu studies. It provides a forum for the best scholars in the world to make their views and research available to a wider audience.

• Comprehensively covers the textual traditions of Hinduism
  
• Features four coherent sections covering theoretical issues, textual traditions, science and philosophy, and Hindu society and politics
  
• Reflects the trend away from essentialist understandings of Hinduism towards tradition and regional-specific studies
  
• Includes material on Hindu folk religions and stresses the importance of region in analyzing Hinduism
  
• Ideal for use on university courses.

Customer Reviews (1)

Very well put-together
Blackwell Companions are quite good. Comprehensive and too the point. Helpful to fill in all the holes. ... Read more

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Hinduism is a concise and readable survey of the history of Hinduism from its origins in the Indus Valley to its increasing popularity in today's western world. Focusing particularly on the modern period, it provides a valuable introduction to contemporary Hindu beliefs and practices and looks at the ways in which this religion is meeting the challenges of the modern world. Written in an accessible and informative style, and assuming little or no prior knowledge on the part of the reader, this book gives a basic introduction to the faith—its history, beliefs, and practices.Provides valuable pedagogy, including: timeline; maps; glossary; list of sacred days/festivals; suggested reading; pronunciation guide; index; feature boxes focusing on some aspects of the arts; 11 black and white pictures and artworks. Readers interested in learning more about the world's religions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

text
I bought this book for my daughter for school. Pretty sure she used it, as she passed the course. Other than that, I truly cannot review this book. ... Read more

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A study of various aspects of the traditional metaphysical doctrines of the Hindu Tradition, along with extensive book and article reviews ... Read more

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Hinduism is both a way of life and a highly organized social and religious system, but in the modern world its essentials, perhaps more than those of any other major religion, are undergoing a process of redefinition. Professor Zaehner's book traces these concepts through the four-thousand year development of Hinduism, and explains the enduring foundations from which it continues to flourish and grow. This book's great merit is that it conveys the essence of concepts such as moksha, karma and sanatana dharma to the newcomer without over-simplification. It remains a penetrating interpretation of the multiple facets of Hinduism from ancient times to the present day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Could be improved...
Hinduism (Oxford Paperbacks) is a broad history and survey of the major elements of Hinduism. Because Hinduism itself spans an incredible spectrum of religious beliefs and rites - esoteric spiritualism through (possibly) human sacrifice - a book this short is quite dense. I found it a useful overview, but it is rife with references to topics not discussed.

Hinduism is written by a philosophy academic. I generally find such books to be difficult reading as this class of authors sacrifices clarity to preserve academic prose style.

This is doubtless a scholarly work, but it's fifty years old. This pup dates from 1962: clearly it is time for a new basic text that is more accessible by the general public.

Scholarly, but Assessible
Professor Zaehner was an Oxford don of the previous generation, and a prolific author. Although I read this book almost thirty years ago, it left me with a strong impression about Hinduism. While many identify Hinduism with pantheism and monism, there are a variety of philosophical schools in the very big temple of Hinduism. Of course, Advaita Vedanta is pantheistic and monistic (or nondualistic), but other schools are polytheistic, theistic, or even atheistic. Of course, all Hindus believe in karma-reincarnation, yoga, the inspiration of the Four Vedas, maya, and enlightenment (wherein one leaves the cycle of reincarnation and loses personality).

Hinduism came West to America with a vengence through the counterculture of the 1960s and has influenced religion and culture significantly even in a country steeped in Christianity. (On this, see Os Guinness, "The East, No Exist" in The Dust of Death and my chapter "New Age Spirituality in Unmasking the New Age.) Authors such as Deepak Chopra present Hindu nondualism as essential to spirituality. India, largely Hindu, is now a rising star economically, a fact that will further expand the influence of its native religion. Given these factors, a basic knowledge of Hinduism is significant for any cosmopolotian person today. It is also very significant for Christians to understand this ancient and diverse religion in light of Christianity's very different worldview and spirituality.

Excellent Survey
An excellent survey of the evolution of Hindu cosmological and ontological speculations, theological belief systems and ethical concepts from the Aryan conquest of India to Gandhi and Tagore. The book is both comrhensive in scope and comprhensible to the uninitiated reader.
My only complaint is the lack of a glossary of Hindu terms such as Dharma, Karma, Moksha and Bhakti which would have been a real help to the reader unfamiliar with Hindu terminology.

A good starting point for students of Hinduism
This book provides an excellent basic analysis of Hinduism. Hinduism is an incredibly complex religion but Zaehner outlines the important points for the reader. ... Read more

Product Description
Multiculturalism in the United States is commonly lauded as a positive social ideal celebrating the diversity of our nation. But, in reality, immigrants often feel pressured to create a singular formulation of their identity that does not reflect the diversity of cultures that exist in their homeland. Hindu Americans have faced this challenge over the last fifteen years, as the number of Indians that have immigrated to this country has more than doubled.

In A Place at the Multicultural Table, Prema A. Kurien shows how various Hindu American organizations--religious, cultural, and political--are attempting to answer the puzzling questions of identity outside their homeland.Drawing on the experiences of both immigrant and American-born Hindu Americans, Kurien demonstrates how religious ideas and practices are being imported, exported, and reshaped in the process. The result of this transnational movement is an American Hinduism--an organized, politicized, and standardized version of that which is found in India.

This first in-depth look at Hinduism in the United States and the Hindu Indian American community helps readers to understand the private devotions, practices, and beliefs of Hindu Indian Americans as well as their political mobilization and activism. It explains the differences between immigrant and American-born Hindu Americans, how both understand their religion and their identity, and it emphasizes the importance of the social and cultural context of the United States in influencing the development of an American Hinduism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

disappointing...
Before Dr Kurien embarked upon this project, American Hindus had expressed their concern over her methodology and perspective. In her preface, she claims she has done justice to American Hindus. Unfortunately, I do not agree with her and have to say that this book has done more disservice to American Hindus than service. Mark Twain had once said, "if you have a hammer in your hand, all the problems of the world appear as a nail to you". Similarly, scholars who are looking for problems in Hinduism see only that in Hinduism. This book will create more Hinduphobia in mainstream America against Hindus. We now need a book that can promote better harmony and understanding between Hindus and the rest of the American society... ... Read more

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Hinduism is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. Among its roots is the historical Vedic religion of Iron Age India, and as such Hinduism is often called the "oldest living religion" or the "oldest living major tradition".

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Basics of Hinduism every Hindu parent should teach their children. ... Read more

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This fascinating volume provides a concise, illustrated introduction to five of the great religious traditions of the world--Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Buddhism, one of the world's great religious traditions, attracts millions of modern-day followers. Hinduism, one of the most ancient of all belief systems, is increasingly well known in the West through expatriate Indian communities. Taoism has been an important influence on Western thinking, especially through the impact of the Tao Te Ching. Confucianism, less metaphysical in its principles, emphasizes family values and the role of the individual within the state. And Shinto, distinctively Japanese in character, is the most animistic of the great religions, based on a belief in numerous individual spirits. The contributors explore a great variety of topics within these religions, including: the life of the Buddha; karma and rebirth; inspiring teachers and gurus; the life of Confucius; sacred Taoist texts; the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata; holy landscapes, shrines, and festivals; enlightenment; and--for all the faiths--the spiritual and ethical teachings, art and architecture, sacred writings, ritual and ceremony, and death and the afterlife. Also included are extracts from or summaries of historical texts, with author commentaries that explain the significance of each piece and place in its full context. Authoritative and accessible, Eastern Religions provides a gateway for all those in the West who wish to move one step closer to the spirit of the East. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Global Religions - lack of essence
The book gives for each of the religions; Hinduism, Buddism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto a good structure into main sections; Origins and history, aspects of the divine, sacred texts, ethical priciples, sacred space, death and afterlife and Society and religion. However within each section there is numereous detailed references to names, places, dates and texts.I miss an overview of each section of what is of importance and what has less significanse. Inserting for each section a missing link- an overview pinpoininting esseentials would make the book an recommendable textbook.

great
I was extremely happy they expeditited this item for a low fee. Book was in good condition

nice :3
Concise information, nice (and lots of) pictures, and NEVER boring! I really enjoyed using this book for my Eastern Humanities class. It was not at all what I had expected: it was not hard to understand, it was not boring, and it did assume that I already knew everything there was to know about Eastern religions.

So, all-in-all, I would recommend this book... even if you're not taking an Eastern religion class! It really clarifies a lot of myths and misconceptions about Eastern religions.

an unusual introductory text
This Oxford publication seems best suited for a comparative world religion course.I found it in search of material for a unit on comparative world religion in my Sociology of Religion course, and I have used it several times now.I wish there was something comparable on Western Religions!EASTERN RELIGIONS is unorthodox in that it has the glossy pages and color photos typically found in a large-format textbook, but instead is in a 5" X 7.5" handbook format.It is 550 pages long, but with plenty of great photos, including reproductions of artwork, the actual text is nowhere near that long.

The organization of the sections is both the strength and the weakness.Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto are covered, and for each there is a section on 1) Origins and Historical Development, 2) Aspects of the Divine, 3) Sacred Texts, 4) Sacred Persons, 5) Ethical Principles, 6) Sacred Space, 7) Sacred Time, 8) Death and the Afterlife, and 9) Society and Religion.

The strength of this approach, from a sociological standpoint, is that religious practices receive as much attention as religious doctrines and beliefs.For instance, Dipavali, the Necklace (or Festival) of Lights, which was recently celebrated, is covered in the Sacred Time sub-section of the Hinduism section.For instance Laozi, fabled author of the Tao te Ching, is worshipped as a god by Taoists in China, which I'm sure is news to many in the West who read the Tao te Ching as philosophy and are informed that Laozi may never have existed as a singular historical person at all.The reader learns of the Three Teachings tradition of China, which combines Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.Here's where the strength becomes a weakness, though -- the China expert has to write the Taoism and Confucianism sections separately, and so while some of the material overlaps (for instance qi, yin and yang), it remains unclear exactly how they are (or were) combined in the everyday life of the Chinese people, let alone how they combine with Buddhism which has a separate author altogether.And the Chinese "popular religion" is mentioned as well, but never explained at all, because it doesn't fit the framework.

Credit where credit is due:the Hinduism section is written by Vasudha Narayanan, Professor of Religion at the University of Florida, the Buddhism section is written by Malcolm David Eckel, Associate Professor of Religion at Boston University, the Shinto section is written by C. Scott Littleton, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and the sections on Taoism and Confucianism are written by Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, Assistant Professor (of what the book jacket does not say) at Wittenberg University in Ohio. ... Read more

Product Description
Hinduism is a complex faith, rooted in the Indian subcontinent and finding many forms of expression. David Burnett brings together a vast array of information concerning the history of Hinduism, the role of various deities, the nature of Hindu worship, the role of ghosts and spirits, and more. This new edition includes updated text and added Web-based resources for every chapter, along with learning objectives and topics for discussion. ... Read more

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Hinduism is currently followed by one-fifth of humankind. Far from a monolithic theistic tradition, the religion comprises thousands of gods, a complex caste system, and hundreds of languages and dialects. Such internal plurality inspires vastly ranging rites and practices amongst Hinduism's hundreds of millions of adherents. It is therefore not surprising that scholars have been hesitant to define universal Hindu beliefs and practices. In this book, Axel Michaels breaks this trend. He examines the traditions, beliefs, and rituals Hindus hold in common through the lens of what he deems its "identificatory habitus," a cohesive force that binds Hindu religions together and fortifies them against foreign influences. Thus, in his analysis, Michaels not only locates Hinduism's profoundly differentiating qualities, but also provides the framework for an analysis of its social and religious coherence.

Michaels blends his insightful arguments and probing questions with introductions to major historical epochs, ample textual sources as well as detailed analyses of major life-cycle rituals, the caste system, forms of spiritualism, devotionalism, ritualism, and heroism. Along the way he points out that Hinduism has endured and repeatedly resisted the missionary zeal and universalist claims of Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. He also contrasts traditional Hinduism with the religions of the West, "where the self is preferred to the not-self, and where freedom in the world is more important than liberation from the world."

Engaging and accessible, this book will appeal to laypersons and scholars alike as the most comprehensive introduction to Hinduism yet published. Not only is Hinduism refreshingly new in its methodological approach, but it also presents a broad range of meticulous scholarship in a clear, readable style, integrating Indology, religious studies, philosophy, anthropological theory and fieldwork, and sweeping analyses of Hindu texts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Orientalist View of Hinduism
Michaels starts with the right questions, but he is unable to shake off the distorting glasses of Orientalist Western scholarship that has dealt with Hinduism either as history of conflict between race and caste or as magic and mysticism. The harder Michaels tries, the more confused his writing becomes. This is typical of writers who know India from books and whose experience with life within the Hindu tradition is very superficial; a year in an Indian city as a student simply does not provide the understanding that is required. As things stand, he simply repeates Orientalist prejudices.

Michaels' analysis of the difference between Vedism and "mainstream Hinduism" is not even correct, showing his lack of insight into both. It is curious that he defines Hinduism as three different religions, insisting that is different from other religions. How about the variety of Christian religions: Catholic, Mormon (with its own book), Charismatic (the ones that get bitten by snakes and speak in tongues), and the many different Protestant Churches? Or Islam with its Sunni, Shi'a, Ismaili, Wahhabi, Sufi, and other sects? If Michaels is trying to show how Hinduism is different sociologicallyfrom other religions, he has failed. He should have asked the question: In what sense is obtaining knowledge in Hinduism different from that in other religions? He would have then found the answers to the basic questions posited in the beginning of the book. ... Read more

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Max Weber's ideas have had enormous influence in theoretical sociology. But what he wrote about Asia has more often been cited by specialists to illustrate his errors rather than to derive inspiration.This collection of essays both engages with Max Weber's work, and attempts to use his general approach, combined with detailed ethnography from Nepal and Japan, to attack critical questions in the anthropology and sociology of Buddhism and Hinduism.These range from the relationship of Buddhist religious specialists (monks and priests) to shamanic practitioners, to the way in which Brahmanical ideals have spread through history and are expressed in a traditional Hindu city, to the question of how to frame sociological comparisons between similarreligious systems in different cultures. ... Read more

Product Description
Hinduism: A Reader offers a comprehensive guide to this major world religion through a combination of passages from scriptures and excerpts from the work of leading scholars in the field.

• Introduces students to the main textual, regional, intellectual, philosophical, historical, and contemporary traditions of the Hindu faith
  
• Includes excerpts from both canonical ancient texts and thought-provoking contemporary texts to offer a balanced overview of the religion
  
• Features selections that are concise without sacrificing essential material
  
• Provides clearly written introductions to each section that help situate the readings within the wider context of Hindu scholarship.

Product Description
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.
Contributors: Andrew Abbott, Michael Burawoy, Patricia Hill Collins, Barbara Ehrenreich, Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Sharon Hays, Douglas Massey, Joya Misra, Orlando Patterson, Frances Fox Piven, Lynn Smith-Lovin, Judith Stacey, Arthur Stinchcombe, Alain Touraine, Immanuel Wallerstein, William Julius Wilson, Robert Zussman ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Love it!! ......but don't pay $100 plus from marketplace, when it's available for $7.95 from other major bookseller
I think this book is lovely. After seeing the prices over $100, I looked elsewhere and I found it online for $7.95 from other major bookseller.I have to mention for the sake of other buyers though, that they don't need to pay into the hundreds for an $8 book elsewhere.I don't understand why there are sellers on Amazon asking insane prices of over $100 for this little book, much less any book.I love Amazon and have been a faithful purchaser for nearly a decade, but they need to know that their other marketers are asking very unreasonable prices that aren't justified in my opinion.I found it at another major bookseller for $7.95, so my advice is shop around.I couldn't keep silent on this for the sake of other buyers, especially when money is very tight for most people, which is probably why other sellers listed are trying to make huge profits off of a less than $8 book.I still am a huge fan of Amazon, which is why I felt a moral obligation to speak out.

A Very Good Selection, Handsomely Presented
After searching long and hard for a quality edition of the Upanishads, I found this little abridgement to be the best of its kind.The ten texts that make up this selection, are, as advertised, the most consequential for Hindu philosophy, and the hardcover volume itself is quite handsome, and comes complete with a ribbon bookmark.Highly recommended.

Universal Wisdom at its Best
I have brought this book to the attention of several friends who are interested in the essential insights of the Upanishads and none of them have been disappointed.

The Classical Upanishads are some of the earliest and most important mystical teachings to come out of the Hindu religious tradition, dating back to around 800 BCE. Many of the key teachings of karma, about our interconnecteness with all, about blindess of our true spiritual nature, about the world of change and unsatifactoriness (samsara) and finding freedom through meditational and mystical experiences are to be found within these teachings.

Alan Jacobs' translation ofthe principal and historically most important Upanishads breaths new and inspiring life into them. His renderings of them into free-verse must be the most accessible and fluid translation in English there is. This translation and of India's early mystic seers' insights is about as good as it gets.

All there is is That
`Upanishads breathe throughout the sacred spirit of the Vedas!' wrote Arthur Schopenhauer, `How every line is full of sure, definite and harmonizing significance!How out of every page confront us deep, original, elevated thoughts, while a higher and highly sacred earnestness vibrates through the whole!'

Alan Jacobs has produced yet another literary masterpiece in his transcreation of the 'Principal Upanishads', which together with his 'Bhagavad Gita', aim to convey the nondualist teaching (Advaita Vedanta) of the ancient Indian scriptures as well as explore the author's own poetic expression.

There are over 200 Upanishads or `secret teachings' in existence however 12 of them have become universally acknowledged as the primary vehicles of the Divine revelation leading to Self-Realisation.And the 'Isa Upanishad' is traditionally placed at the beginning of the sequence, setting the tone and establishing the essential Truth that ultimately everything is as is should be:

All is perfect, so perfectly perfect!
Whatever being lives, moves
And breathes on Earth
At every level from atom
To galaxy is absolutely perfect in its place
Precise and choreographed,
Because `That' flows from the Glory of God,
The Lord,
The Self,
Consciousness . . .

Each Upanishad is supplemented with the author's own commentary, drawing on nondualist cross references to other writers and beliefs - Homer and Plato, Aurobindo and Schopenhauer, the teachings of Jesus and Ramana Maharshi.

The message of Advaita Vedanta has been gently flourishing in the West - Alan Jacob's 'Principal Upanishads' will only serve to illuminate further this blessed Truth:

That all there is is `That',
The I am-ness
Of consciousness, Reality, Love,
Self, Awareness,
I am `That'
`That' all there is is Brahman, God.
Sat, Chit, Ananda. ... Read more

Product Description
This important new series provides an up-to-date introduction to the world's major religions. Each book covers a particular religion, including a look at its history, sacred texts, worship in the home, places of worship, pilgrimage, festivals, rites of passage and family life. The books have a fresh, accessible approach and include discussions of contemporary religious issues such as the role of women in Islamic society. The books include: points of view of people of the relevant faith; extracts from sacred texts and quotes from key religious figures; boxes highlighting particular symbols and customs ... Read more