| Hinduism as a Missionary Religion Contributor(s): Sharma, Arvind (Author) |
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ISBN: 1438432127 ISBN-13: 9781438432120 Publisher: State University of New York Press OUR PRICE: $33.20 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2012 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Hinduism - History - Religion | Eastern - Religion | Hinduism - Ritual & Practices |
| Dewey: 294.572 |
| Physical Information: 0.6" H x 5.9" W x 8.8" (0.60 lbs) 203 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Hindu |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Is Hinduism a missionary religion? Merely posing this question is a novel and provocative act. Popular and scholarly perception, both ancient and modern, puts Hinduism in the non-missionary category. In this intriguing book, Arvind Sharma re-opens the question. Examining the historical evidence from the major Hindu eras, the Vedic, classical, medieval, and modern periods, Sharma's investigation challenges the categories used in current scholarly discourse and finds them inadequate, emphasizing the need to distinguish between a missionary religion and a proselytizing one. A distinction rarely made, it is nevertheless an illuminating and fruitful one that resonates with insights from the comparative study of religion. Ultimately concluding that Hinduism is a missionary religion, but not a proselytizing one, Sharma's work provides us with new insights both on Hinduism and the consideration of religion itself. |