A Restatement of Religion

By: Jyotirmaya Sharma

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Synopsis: In this third installment of his comprehensive history of "Indias religion" and reappraisal of Hindu identity, Professor Jyotirmaya Sharma offers an engaging portrait of Swami Vivekananda and his relationship with his guru, the legendary Ramakrishna. Sharmas work focuses on Vivekanandas reinterpretation and formulation of diverse Indian spiritual and mystical traditions and practices as "Hinduism" and how it served to create, distort, and justify a national self-image. The author examines questions of caste and the primacy of the West in Vivekanandas vision, as well as the systematic marginalization of alternate religions and heterodox beliefs. In doing so, Professor Sharma provides readers with an incisive entryway into nineteenth- and twentieth-century Indian history and the rise of Hindutva, the Hindu nationalist movement. Sharmas illuminating narrative is an excellent reexamination of one of Indias most controversial religious figures and a fascinating study of the symbiosis of Indian history, religion, politics, and national identity. It is an essential story for anyone interested in the evolution of one of the worlds great religions and its role in shaping contemporary India.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:: 9780300198874
Publisher:: Yale University Press
Date of Addition:: 08/12/13
Copyrighted By:: Yale University Press
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Religion and Spirituality
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.