Religion in IndiaT. N. Madan Oxford in India Readings in Sociology and Social Anthropology have been carefully planned to suit and needs of the general reader, students, teachers, as well as scholars from other disciplines. Problems have been posed in general theoretical terms, but Indian enthnography has been used as far as possible to illustrate them. Each volume is devoted to a core areas in sociology and social anthropology and brings within one cover important writings, some of which are very difficult to find. In this way it serves the useful purpose of short-circuiting the vast body of writing in a discipline, and at the same time presenting the current state of art in it. Religion in India attempts to capture the great diversity of religious phnomena in India. All the great religions of the world - Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrianism are found within the geographical confines of the country, affecting the lives of its people in a vital way. Religion is a central concern in sociological and anthropological investigations and this volume tries to cover all the major theoretical approaches to its study evolutionary, functionalist, structuralist, cultural analytical, phenomenological and hermeneutic. The readings have been organized under five sections: Sacred Knowledge, Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Sacred Person and Reorientations to the Sacred. They offer the best of recent work as well as some celebrated classical writings in the field. The volume editor has a long introduction followed by short section introduction explaining the ratioanale behind his selections in each section. He also intervenes explain the text when he feels it to be necessary in the form of editiorial notes. This paperback edition has an additional article. Each section ends with an annoted biblography of additional readings and there is an exhaustive bibliography at the end of the book. |
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Aiyanar Ajmer ancestors ascetic associated auspicious Baba's bath belief Bhindranwale Brahman Buddhist called caste centre century ceremony Chamar chariots Christian context Coorg cult cultural dairy daitās death deities Delhi devadāsīs devotees dharma divine Dumont festival Fravashis Gaya Gayawal ghat ghost goddess gods guru hand Hindu Hinduism holy human ideas images impure Islam Jain jajman Jina Jogi karma Kāshi king Kulacekara Ladu Ram lamp linga living M. N. Srinivas mangala mantras marriage means milk Minaksi modern Moharram moral mudrā Muslim najar offered paṇḍā Parsis performed person pilgrimage pilgrims political pollution prayers priests Prophet Protestant pūjā purity Qur'an religion religious traditions rice rites ritual sacred sacrifice sanctum Sanskrit Sathya Sai Baba secular shaman shamanin Shiva shrine Sikh Sikhism Śiva social society sociology soul South India spirit symbols tazziyas temple things tion Tooth University Press Untouchable village worship Zoroastrian