Reading List
- Hinduism Reading ListRecommended books and films on Hinduism from McKee Library's collection.
Internet Resources
- HinduismHinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.
- Hinduism: Ancient HistoryHinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and derives from the Persian term Sindus designating those who lived across the Indus River. Adherents of the faith know it as Sanatan Dharma (“eternal order” or “eternal path”) and understand the precepts, as set down in the scriptures known as the Vedas, as having always existed just as Brahman, the Supreme Over Soul from whom all of creation emerges, has always been. Brahman is the First Cause which sets all else in motion but is also that which is in motion, that which guides the course of creation, and creation itself.
- Hinduism: Basic BeliefsThe fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta, is that a human being's basic nature is not confined to the body or the mind. Beyond both of these is the spirit or the spark of God within the soul.
Research & Reference
- Hinduism: Credo ReferenceLike the other world religions born during the so-called Axial Age (c. 800–200 BCE ) Hinduism is a complex religious system, with tremendous regional variation. So much so, that past critics have argued that there is no real Hindu religion. Despite these assertions there are shared elements that comprise a core we can call Hinduism.
- World Religion Profile: HinduismThe article discusses the Hindu religion. Hinduism is divided into the Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism sects and promotes the concepts of karma and dharma. Hinduism is polytheistic, with a supreme truth represented through different gods such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Sacred texts of Hinduism include the Vedas and the Upanishads. Hinduism developed from beliefs of the Indus Valley civilization and emphasizes salvation through devotion or knowledge.
Perspectives
Hinduism: a Very Short Introduction
Hinduism is practiced by about eighty percent of India's population, and by about 30 million people outside India. But how is Hinduism defined, and what basis does the religion have? In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott provides clear insight into the beliefs and authority of Hindus and Hinduism, and considers the ways in which it has been affected by colonialism and modernity. Knott offers succinct explanations of Hinduism's central preoccupations, including the role of contemporary gurus and teachers in the quest for spiritual fulfillment; and the function of regular performances of the Mahabharata and Ramayana--scriptures which present the divine in personal form (avatara) and provide models of behavior for everyone, from kings and warriors to servants and children, and which focus on the dharma, the appropriate duties and moral responsibilities of the different varna or classes. The author also considers the challenges posed to Hinduism at the end of the twentieth century as it spreads far beyond India, and as concerns are raised about issues such as dowry, death, caste prejudice, and the place of women in Hindu society.
Hinduism
Succinct and authoritative, this detailed introduction to Hinduism brings into grand focus the history, peoples, traditions, and geography of South Asia. David Knipe integrates his own intensive study of the basic Hindu texts with his years of primary research and fieldwork in South Asia. Knipe creates a five-fold model for presenting the rich complexities of the Hindu world, offering an absorbing survey of the central Hindu deities, myths, doctrines, rituals, sects, and personalities. One chapter brings to vivid life the essential features of this fascinating tradition by narrating a single day in the life of a Hindu woman and the life history of a forty-year-old man. "Hinduism "also features a glossary of Hindu terms and a list of Hindu deities, powers, and deified heroes, providing the reader with a precise and colorful understanding of the Hindu pantheon and world view. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend
Provides accessible, informative and authoritative entries to answer any major question about Hinduism, its mythology, practices, customs and laws.
World Mythology: Handbook of Hindu Mythology
A guide to Hinduism through the ages, offering readers an accessible way of exploring its complex deities, mythological characters, and ideas.
The Religions Next Door
The Religions Next Door: What we need to know about Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam - and what reporters are missing will educate readers as to the truth about world religions that the media often misrepresent. Our neighborhoods are full of religious diversity these days, but the media would have us believe they all hold different variations of the same tenets. But this isn't so, and it is in those missed details that serious and grave misjustice is done to the American people by the misreporting of religion.The Religions Next Door provides insight into the beliefs of four growing religions in America, and challenges the media community to report religion as real news - not as community relations fodder, but as stories of human and theological interest.
Streaming Media
- HinduismThe history of Hinduism is as complex as the stories of its many deities and the architecture of this religion serves as an excellent place to understand the meanings of the major gods and their myths. Often spectacular, compelling in their details, exquisite and sometimes strikingly erotic and sensual, locations visited include: the Kailasa Shiva Temple, Ellora in Deccan, India; the Temples of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India; Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur and the Meenakshi Temple, Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India; Vijayanagara, Karnataka, India; and the world-famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
- Hinduism: Faith, Festivals, and RitualsIn Kerala, which is situated in the southern tip of India, Hinduism is the principal belief system of the state’s religiously diverse and historically broad-minded population. This program examines the multifaceted majority religion of India. Devotional ceremonies and observances of Hinduism and sacred Hindu literature, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are explored, as are some of the region’s ornate temples. The Hindu emphasis on right living, or dharma, is discussed.
- What is Hinduism?Host Tevya begins his spiritual quest by investigating Hinduism, a faith with some 900 million followers worldwide. He attends the Durga Puja festival, an annual celebration for the Hindu goddess Durga with his teen guide Kritika. Tevya explores Little India searching for a present for the goddess and learns a little Kathak dancing with Kritika along the way!