Description
Book SynopsisHinduism in Five Minutes provides an accessible and lively introduction to common questions about the practices, ideas, and narratives commonly identified as Hindu. Suitable for beginning students and the general reader, the book offers more than 70 brief essays on a wide range of fascinating questions about Hinduism and its study, such as: How did Hinduism begin? How many gods / goddesses do Hindus worship? Which scriptures are important in Hinduism? Why are many Hindus vegetarian? What is the role of women in Hindu rituals? What do Hindus believe? What is caste, and why are some people treated differently because of it? How do Hindus celebrate festivals like Holi? Is yoga Hindu? What makes arranged marriage appealing to some Hindus? Do you have to be Indian to be a Hindu? Each essay is written by a leading authority and offers succinct, insightful answers along with suggestions for further reading, making the book an ideal starting point for classroom use or personal browsing.
Table of ContentsPreface Steven Ramey General questions Is Hinduism a religion or something else? Prea Persaud, University of North Carolina What are the primary ideas in Hinduism? Brian K. Pennington, Elon University What is the ultimate purpose or goal of Hinduism? Varun Khanna, Swarthmoe College Beginnings What is the creation story in Hinduism? Gil Ben-Herut, University of South Florida Where and when did Hinduism originate? Thomas B. Ellis, Appalachian State University Where does the name Hinduism come from? Will Sweetman, University of Otago Where did the concept of caste begin? Gil Ben-Herut Development Are there different denominations like Christianity? Vincent Burgess, Cornell University What are the regional differences in Hinduism across India? Bhakti Mamtora, Wooster College How does someone become a guru? Antoinette E. DeNapoli, Texas Christian University Does violent extremism exist in Hinduism? Jimi Wilson, University of North Carolina, Greensboro Texts and Stories How many ‘sacred texts’ does Hinduism have? Steven Ramey What are the Vedas? Varun Khanna What is the Bhagavad Gita? Vincent Burgess Gods and Goddesses How many gods are in Hinduism? Vasudha Narayanan, University of Florida Which deities are most popular? Vasudha Narayanan What does each god represent? Thomas B. Ellis Personal practices What are the daily practices that Hindus try to follow? Bhakti Mamtora What does someone have to believe to be a Hindu? Richard S. Weiss, Victoria University of Wellington Do Hindus still have arranged marriages? Susan Prill, Juniata College Why do Hindus not eat beef? Will Sweetman Rituals and Worship Are there any ceremonies that Hindus hold very sacred? Thomas B. Ellis How is caste determined? Maharshi Vyas, University of California What does worship in Hinduism look like? Katherine C. Zubko, University of North Carolina, Asheville Hindus in relation to non-Hindus How do Hindus live in Muslim countries like Pakistan, if any do? Jürgen Schaflechner, Freie Universtät Berlin What is the main difference between Hinduism and the more popular religions in America? Michael J. Altman, University of Alabama What do Hindus think about Christianity? Collin Sibley, University of California Current Issues What are some values taught to children? Varun Khanna Do you have to be Indian to be a Hindu? Collin Sibley How do Hindus respond to environmental issues? Vincent Burgess Do men and women have equality in Hinduism? Antoinette E. DeNapoli What is the Hindu response to people who identify as LGBTQ? Maharshi Vyas Why does Hinduism seem to have spread less around the world than other major religions? Prea Persaud
