The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism

Praise for the previous editionThis collection offers a new way to parse the multiple entryways into the vast arena of Hinduism. Using the general divisional categories of theoretical issues, text and tradition, systematic thought, and society, politics and nation, Flood has achieved significant breadth in disciplines, subjects and historical perspectives.--ChoiceThis is a most welcome, timely, and authoritative assessment of the entire field of study, a most commendable response to an enormous challenge.--Journal of Contemporary ReligionThe Blackwell Companion to Hinduism effectively serves to condense the proliferation of scholarship on Hinduism. ... The approach is interdisciplinary and places Hinduism not within a sphere of its own, but within a larger context, reading it as a dynamic product of historical global exchange. ... A handsome addition to academic and personal libraries.--Asian Studies ReviewThe Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism explores the richness, complexity, and diversity of one of the world's great religions. Providing readers with an accessible overview of contemporary Hindu Studies, this accessible volume presents historical accounts of all major traditions, analyzes specific texts, and addresses key debates about the nature and study of Hinduism. Through thirty-one essays, leading experts examine main themes such as philosophy, theology, society, and science while highlighting the links, common threads, and important issues that reoccur in the history of Hinduism.This new edition is fully revised to incorporate the most recent scholarship and approaches in the field, such as the use and value of region-specific studies in analyzing Hinduism. Along with chapters on different Indian sciences, including astronomy, medicine, and mathematics, entirely new chapters discuss the Goddess tradition, Hindu diaspora, and Hindu philosophy. Throughout the companion, the contributors engage with important theoretical questions and offer insights into ongoing socio-political issues.Examining the historical trajectories that have led to the modern religion of Hinduism, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Second Edition is an ideal text for undergraduate courses on Hinduism in Religious Studies and Philosophy departments,and an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in Hindu Studies.