Overview

"Originally published in 1997 -- ""A wonderful balance of detail and clarity with excellent introductory essays on the Indus Valley civilization, the Vedic Period, the Upanishads, and devotional Hinduism,"" Religious Studies Review; Choice Outstanding Academic Book - selling over 10,000 copies, and now revised and expanded to two volumes (Volume II: Religious History and Philosophy). Herewith an outstanding introduction to Hinduism and the many expressions of the religion in India. The evolution and nature of the major Hindu deities occupies substantial sections of the book as well as social structures such as class and caste that inform not only ritualistic practices and approaches to divinity but also societal norms. Thus, the historical roots of present-day beliefs and practices and the religious contexts in which they are based are examined. Current issues such as the struggle for greater independence for women in all aspects of social and economic living are raised. The book also incorporates the ways in which Hinduism is expressed in the colourful festivals and the sacred pilgrimages throughout India. No prior knowledge of Hinduism is required. Contents include: Fundamental Beliefs; Scriptures; Class and Caste; The Four Stages of Life; Gods and Goddesses (Siva); Gods and Goddesses (Sakti); Gods and Goddesses (Visnu, Krisna and Radha); Ritual in the Home and Community (Worship); Ritual in the Home and Community (Life-cycle Rites); Women in the Home and Community; Sacred Times and Places: Festivals and Pilgrimage."

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9781845196233

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Jeaneane Fowler was formerly Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, Newport, and later an Honorary Research fellow. Her publications include Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices (Choice Outstanding Title, 1997; revised and enlarged to two volumes in 2019), and in the same series, Humanism, Chinese Religions, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism in Wales; and books on the Philosophy of Hinduism, the Philosophy of Taosim, The Bhagavad Gita, and Causality.

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