"Rearming Hinduism is a handbook for intellectual resistance. Through an astute and devastating critique of Hinduphobia in today's academia, media and popular culture, Vamsee Juluri shows us that what the Hinduphobic worldview denies virulently is not only the truth and elegance of Hindu thought, but the very integrity and sanctity of the natural world itself. By boldly challenging some of the media age's most popular beliefs about nature, history, and pre-history along with the Hinduphobes' usual myths about Aryans, invasions, and blood-sacrifices, Rearming Hinduism links Hinduphobia and its hubris to a predatory and self-destructive culture that perhaps only a renewed Hindu sensibility can effectively oppose. It is a call to see the present in a way that elevates our desa and kala to the ideals of the sanathana dharma once again" -- From the publisher.

There is nothing more miserable than to feel that emancipation is in the air and yet suffer the slavery of a mistaken idea. The author seeks to re-invent Hinduism by bringing to the fore its most fundamental postulates as: 1. Worship of the monotheistic formless Brahm. 2. God-realisation through Nishkam Sewa (selfless service). 3. Social equality and brotherhood (vasudhaiva kutumbakam). 4. Self-realisation through Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. 5. Salvation through worldly life of Purushaarth (Dharm, Arth, Kaam, Moksha). 'EK Samaj' repudiates the following attributes as excrescences and repugnant to the faith: 1. Mixing philosophy and religion made Hinduism an unorganised religion. 2. Worshipping numerous deities and limiting religious service to mere darshan of the idols fragmented Hinduism. 3. Hereditary priesthood, as permanent intermediaries for communion with God, polluted the religion. 4. Occupational ‘purity’ and ‘pollution’ camouflaged iniquitous social divisions. 5. Individual instead of congregational worship smothered Hindu brotherhood. 6. Pretensions of attaining Siddhis through ‘meditation and penances’ eulogised. 7. Escapism in worldly renunciation honoured. 8. Fatalist karma theory made Hindus pessimistic and other-worldly. 9. Transmigration, reincarnation, 84-lakh births used as props for gradation of castes. 10. Acceptance of Ahimsa made Hindus a doormat for the ruthless barbarians. 11. Karma kand and Mantra, Tantra, Yantra etc. justified as the sole religious expressions. 12. Lack of proselytisation prevented Hinduism from becoming a world religion. 13. Devdasi tradition made temples the venues of entertainment and recreation.

The Historical Dictionary of Hinduism relates the history of Hinduism through a chronology, an introductory essay, photos, an extensive bibliography, and over 1,000 cross referenced dictionary entries on Hindu terminology, names of major historical figures and movements, gods and goddesses, prominent temples, terms for items used in Hindu practice, major texts, philosophical concepts, and more. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Hinduism.

An authoritative collection on the history of Hindu religious practices. Hindu Practice considers traditions of asceticism, yoga, and devotion, including dance and music, developed in Hinduism over long periods of time.

This book provides a concise introduction into twenty-one trends that are transforming the role of religion and spirituality in “re-globalizing” societies. In referring to processes of “re-globalization”, the book draws attention to profound ongoing changes in the patterns and mechanisms of contemporary globalization. Inter- and transdisciplinary in its approach, clearly structured, and easy to read, the book analyzes the impact of religious self-understanding, rhetoric, and practice on five core fields: economics, politics, culture, demography, and technology. In turn, it describes the effects of these five fields on religion and spirituality themselves. This book represents a broad, encompassing overview of the main transformations that religion is undergoing today. Roland Benedikter combines a “big picture” approach with a keen attention to the details of specific case studies. With its clear and accessible structure and timely examples, this book is ideally suited for students of international relations and religious studies, and will also appeal to researchers engaged in those fields and to interested general readers. The book is also apt to serve as an encompassing basis for contemporary debates in civil society, including both grassroots and expert discussions.

One of the most complicated and ambiguous tendencies in contemporary western societies is the phenomenon referred to as the "turn to religion." In philosophy, one of the most original thinkers critically questioning this "turn" is Jean-Luc Nancy. Re-treating Religion is the first volume to analyze his long-term project "The Deconstruction of Christianity," especially his major statement of it in Dis-Enclosure. Nancy conceives monotheistic religion and secularization not as opposite worldviews that succeed each other in time but rather as springing from the same history. This history consists in a paradoxical tendency to contest one's own foundations--whether God, truth, origin, humanity, or rationality--as well as to found itself on the void of this contestation. Nancy calls this unique combination of self-contestation and self-foundation the "self-deconstruction" of the Western world. The book includes discussion with Nancy himself, who contributes a substantial "Preamble" and a concluding dialogue with the volume editors. The contributions follow Nancy in tracing the complexities of Western culture back to the persistent legacy of monotheism, in order to illuminate the tensions and uncertainties we face in the twenty-first century.

The need to reimagine religion and belief is precipitated by their greater visibility in public life. Meanwhile, social policy responses often see them from a problem-based, rather than an asset-based, approach. However, with growing diversity of religion and belief in every sector comes the potential for new dialogues across previously impermeable policy and disciplinary silos. This volume brings together leading international authors to critically consider these challenges within legal and policy frameworks, including security and cohesion, welfare, law, health and social care, inequality, cohesion, extremism, migration and abuse. It challenges policy makers to re-imagine religion and belief as an integral part of public life that contains resources, practices, forms of knowledge and experience that are essential to a coherent policy approach to diversity, enhanced democracy and participation.