Defining Hinduism: A Reader

Defining Hinduism is concerned not only with what Hinduism is, but also with what it has been and with the history of the religion and of the term ‘Hinduism.’ Some of the authors included here make political or ideological claims, so they are also interested in what Hinduism should be. The book is composed of nine essays originally published over a ten-year period between 1991 and 2001 written by some of the most influential and interesting scholars working on the religions of South Asia today. These essays are put into context by a comprehensive general introduction as well as individual introductions to each of the three parts. These are only some of the most important and interesting examples of the growing literature on the problem of defining Hinduism. This is obviously a critical subject for students of South Asia, given that Hinduism is the dominant religion in that region. Since Hinduism is almost always counted as one of the major world religions, its definition is also significant for religious studies generally.