Historical Dictionary of Hinduism
By (author) Jeffery D. Long
Publication date:
09 September 2011Length of book:
390 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810867642
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion and still growing. It is the oldest major religion with a tradition reaching back millennia and having many notable peaks and periods of glory. It has influenced and been affected by other world religions, including Islam and Buddhism, as well as Christianity. Despite repeated attempts to contain it, it has maintained an exceptional vigor and boasts a rich spiritual culture with celebrated thinkers and teachers and an extensive literature.
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.
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.
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religious traditions—though the term itself is of more recent origin—and is generally understood to refer “to the subset of indigenous Indic traditions that observed the sanctity of the Vedas.” Presenting these ancient beliefs and practices and their development over millennia, all in a single volume, is a tall order, indeed. Yet the Historical Dictionary of Hinduism succeeds quite well in doing just that.
The introductory essay, which precedes the more than 1,000 alphabetically arranged entries, provides a nice historical overview of Hinduism. The entry for Veda, Vedas presents the four basic collections of sacred texts, though separate entries exist for each (e.g., Rg Veda). Hinduism’s two great epic poems, the Mahabharata and Ramaya?a, have their own articles, with additional entries for many of the characters mentioned in them. The main sectarian groups within Hinduism are described in the entries for Vai??avism, Saivism, Saktism, and Smarta. Most of the remaining entries discuss important historical figures, rituals, deities, sacred places, and philosophical concepts and systems. Coverage extends to topics drawn from Sikhism and Jainism, two related religious traditions, as well as the issues and groups associated with the Hindu nationalism movement....
The shorter entries of the Historical Dictionary of Hinduism allow specific mention and a brief description of more minor characters, shrines, festivals, and the like. Recommended for theological libraries, research collections, and large public libraries.
The introductory essay, which precedes the more than 1,000 alphabetically arranged entries, provides a nice historical overview of Hinduism. The entry for Veda, Vedas presents the four basic collections of sacred texts, though separate entries exist for each (e.g., Rg Veda). Hinduism’s two great epic poems, the Mahabharata and Ramaya?a, have their own articles, with additional entries for many of the characters mentioned in them. The main sectarian groups within Hinduism are described in the entries for Vai??avism, Saivism, Saktism, and Smarta. Most of the remaining entries discuss important historical figures, rituals, deities, sacred places, and philosophical concepts and systems. Coverage extends to topics drawn from Sikhism and Jainism, two related religious traditions, as well as the issues and groups associated with the Hindu nationalism movement....
The shorter entries of the Historical Dictionary of Hinduism allow specific mention and a brief description of more minor characters, shrines, festivals, and the like. Recommended for theological libraries, research collections, and large public libraries.