Summary

One of the oldest and most complex of the world's spiritual traditions, Hinduism is the religion of more than four-fifths of the Indian subcontinent's population. Major Hindu communities also exist around the world. Dispelling many of the myths and mysteries surrounding this ancient world religion, Hinduism, Fifth Edition provides readers with an up-to-date understanding of the interconnection of religion and politics in India, problems facing Hindu communities in the diaspora, and American movements in Hinduism. 

Engaging sidebars, recommendations for further reading, a list of websites for additional information, and full-color photographs add to the well-written text. A glossary and bibliography make research easy and enjoyable for students.

Coverage includes:

• Roots of Hinduism
• Hindu customs and beliefs
• Hindu gods and devotionalism
• Hindu rites of passage
• The Hindu nationalist movement in India
• Hinduism and the interfaith movement
• Hinduism and the environmental movement.

Specifications

eBook

About the Author(s)

Madhu Bazaz Wangu has taught at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Ph.D. in religious studies, as well as at Rhode Island College and Wheaton College, Mass. She is the author of Images of Indian Goddesses: Myths, Meanings and Models, among others. She has won several awards for her work as an artist.

Series editor Joanne O'Brien has an M.A. degree in theology and has written a range of education and general reference books on religion and contemporary culture. She is coauthor, with Martin Palmer and Elizabeth Breuilly, of Religions of the World and Festivals of the World, published by Infobase, and, with Martin Palmer, of Atlas of Religion. She is a consultant to WWF, the World Bank, the World Council of Churches, UNESCO, and UNDP.

Series editor and religious historian Martin Palmer is the founder of International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture (ICOREC), in 1983, and the secretary-general of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC). He is the author of many books on world religions as well as a translator of ancient Chinese texts.