Vivekahandas hinduism jettisoned the particulars of hindu polytheism doctrines, dogmas, rituals, books, oral traditions, and temples in order to extract a universal essence of spirituality. Wendy donigers enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that is plural, varied, generous, and inclusive. Unlike her previous work this was specifically aimed at the indian audience. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. She has taught at the school of oriental and african studies, university of london and the university of california, berkeley, and is currently the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history. Right or wrong, wendy donigers the hindus should be. Wendy doniger and the hindus by murali balaji the new. Wendy doniger holds two doctorates, in sanskrit and indian studies, from the universities of harvard and oxford. Publishers weekly clear and direct this will stand as a reliable resource to return to frequently. Several books of each of those sorts exist, some of them quite good, which you might read alongside this one. For anyone seeking a deeper and more nuanced understanding of hinduism, this book is a must read. Recalling this book is essential because doniger, a socalled scholar, has misrepresented india and hinduism. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. The author, wendy doniger, has two doctorates, one in sanskrit and one in indian studies, so she is exceedingly well qualified to write meaningfully on this topic.
India bans vulgar book by university of chicago scholar chicago. An alternative history is the latest in a long line of incidents that show the state refusing to protect liberal values. She frames the debate over her book, as well as other topics when it comes to hinduism, as one between hindu rightwing activists and scholars. If research studies are carried out in future on hinduism and her book is referred. For those who already know and admire wendy donigers work, this is a handy if hefty compendium of. Without reversing or misrepresenting the historical hierarchies. This book is a collection of essays on hinduism by the author wendy doniger. A controversial book on hinduism is back in print in india. A scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of siva. The norton anthology of world religions offers a beautifully designed library of more than 1,000 primary texts, accompanied by headnotes, annotations, glossaries, maps, illustrations, chronologies, and a dazzling general introduction by pulitzer prize winner jack miles.
She has taught at the school of oriental and african studies, university of london and the university of california, berkeley, and is currently the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions at the university of chicago. The latest twist in the tale is the notice served to aleph book company, the publisher of donigers previous book, on hinduism. The book makes certain claims which certain segments of hindus believe portray hinduism in a bad light. I had intended it to be, but it got the bit between its teeth and ran away from me, nor, on the other hand, is it a reference book that covers all the facts and dates about hinduism or a book about hinduism as it is lived today. With her inimitable insight and expertise doniger illuminates those moments within the tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. It has seven sections based on the different themes. Spanning over six millennia, this monumental and thoroughly engrossing.
This book is not a brief survey you noticed that already. Wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative history penguin books 2009 by vishal agarwal aldous huxley once said that an intellectual was someone who had found something more interesting than sex. Scholars who study hinduism and india face hostile climate. I do not believe in burning books, but wendy donigers 779page tome titled, the hindus. Wendy doniger oflaherty was born in new york in 1940. For those who already know and admire wendy donigers work, this is a handy if hefty compendium. Wendy donigers research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. Censorship by the batra brigade nyr, may 8, wendy doniger touches on a number of issues when it comes to the academic study of religion and larger questions of representation. Doniger approaches the central religious traditions of india as diverse in nature and as. Hinduism, in her view, is an intricate weave of the diverse localities and communities of indian culture. There is a depressing familiarity to the ruckus centred on american scholar wendy donigers book the hindus.
The notice demanded that the publisher withdraw this book too. On hinduism by wendy doniger meet your next favorite book. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. Doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life. Full text of the hindus an alternative history by wendy.
Wendy doniger is one of the foremost scholars of hinduism in the world. Professor at the divinity school, university of chicago, wendy donigers rather radical works on hinduism, its scriptures and icons have provoked huge debates. Examines a rich array of hindu conceptspolytheism, death, gender, art, contemporary puritanism, nonviolence, and many more. The uses and misuses of polytheism and monotheism in hinduism. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. The release of wendy donigers recent book the hindus. With immense skill wendy doniger illuminates those moments within the. Wendy donigers compendious account of religious traditions that constitute an ism only in the broadest possible sense begins with an account of being eggpelted by one such hardliner who objected to her suggestion that some sanskrit texts are interested in divine female sexuality. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Doniger instead portrays the history of hinduism from the point of view of. A controversial book on hinduism is back in print in indiawith a tweak wendy donigers book was booted from india after conservative hindu activists cried foul.
An alternative history covers vast ground in this compendium of a lifetime of. She is an american indologist with dozens of publication under her name. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger. Donigers book on hinduism put on hold dina nath batra warned that unless the book is withdrawn by march 10, 2014, he would take legal action and also launch an agitation for the same. This book will no doubt further expose her to the fury of the modernday indian heirs of the british imperialists who invented hinduism. Step back from the brink calls by citizens for restraint febmarch 2019 south asia loses a voice of sanity asma jahangir 19522018 india. Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions in the divinity school at the university of chicago, where she is also a professor of south asian languages and civilizations. Donigers book on hinduism put on hold india news,the. Many nonhindu westerners have ideas about what hindus believe. This collection will unsettle some current certainties about the nature of faith and, in so doing, may help its readers. Wendy doniger in when the lingam is just a cigar, psychoanalysis and hindu sexual fantasies.
This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the vedas to the present day. Wendy doniger titles her ambitious expedition through millennia of hindu history the hindus, not hinduism. A university of chicago scholars alternative history of hinduism will be. An alternative history is a diachronic study of hinduism that highlights the complexity and diversity of the religion. In our day, as fundamentalism raised its ugly head among the major monotheisms judaism, christianity, and islam, hinduism, too, caught it. Wendy doniger has 73 books on goodreads with 35307 ratings. Her courses in mythology address themes in crosscultural expanses, such as death, dreams, evil, horses, sex, and women.
There has been much handwringing in india about wendy doniger s book, the hindus. It is laced with personal editorials, folksy turn of the. All you wanted to know about the controversy surrounding. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india the book was criticized in india, and in february 2014 it was the subject of litigation in. A critique of wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative. After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. On hinduism by wendy doniger, 9780199360079, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
About wendy doniger oflahertys translation of the rig. The real reason wendy doniger s book on hindus was banned in india. Her translations for penguin classics include the rig veda, the laws of. During a lecture in london in 2003, doniger escaped being hit by an egg thrown by a hindu nationalist apparently angry at the sexual thrust of her interpretation of the sacred ramayana. Doniger s scandalous book on the hindus makes sense only in the light of a larger global trenda trend that seeks to repackage islamic history as a force for tolerance and progress. Includes more than 60 essays and lectures spanning the decadeslong career of one of hinduisms most prominent scholars.
Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity, not an insult this article is more than 6 years old. Textual sources for the study of hinduism textual sources for the study of religion, issn 17592739. These are questions that are provided in a handout format and intended for written answers. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our. Wendy doniger social thought the university of chicago. An alternative history book online at low prices in.
Full text of the hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger see other formats. On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. This is the first part of a scholarly critique of wendy donigers the hindus. Wendy donigers book is at once deeply engaged with textual details, historical sweep, theoretical concerns, and contemporary politics.
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