Chapter 1 - Hindu Dharma by John Grimes, Sushil Mittal, and Gene Thursby
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Discussion Questions
- What has been the impact Western world view of religion and sub-continent’s history on the understanding and conceptualization of ‘Hinduism’? With new research challenging old theories like the Aryan invasion theory how has the study and understanding of Hinduism changed?
- While early Vedic tradition did not have any great goddess how has the role and status of women in Hinduism evolved with the coming of Devi (the ultimate power according to Saktas)?
- Given that Bharata is the karmabhumi (the region where actions are subject to the law of karma and liberation can be achieved) what happens to followers and other humans outside this realm of liberation?
- How does the “means and ends” debate hold in the context of karma, especially in the context of the Kurukshetra War?
- How has the religious/Hindu view of ahimsa (non-violence) impacted modern thinkers? How is ahimsa different from pacifism?
- “When the last sacrament has been performed, the individual has made the full transition through the various stages of life and has become a complete or perfected human being, worthy of worship, and thus a source of blessings for all of their descendants.” Is this applicable to a person who has during his lifetime violated the principles of dharma? Would a dictator who has been responsible for the death of thousands also qualify for this transition? If so why?
- When Hinduism travelled from India to southeast Asia to become a significant religion (eg. in Bali) how did it interact with the pre-existing indigenous religions and traditional practices?
Further Reading
- Flood, Gavin D. 2011. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Beckerlegge, Gwilym. 2008. Colonialism, Modernity and Religious Identities: Religious Reform Movements in South Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Lal, Malashri, and Namita Gokhale, eds. 2009. In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology. New Delhi: Penguin Books.
- Eck, Diana L. 2011. India: A Sacred Geography. New York: Harmony Books, 2011.
- Sharma, Arvind. 2012. Hinduism and Human Rights: A Conceptual Approach. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 2 - Jaina Dharma by Anne Valley
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Discussion Questions
- Though Jaina Dharma has continued to maintain its distinction from Hinduism, in India it was subsumed under Hindu personal law. Has this impacted the community’s social practices, such as succession, property devolution, adoption, marriage and divorces?
- The “householder’s” act of cultivating, harvesting and preparing food ensures that a renouncer is not karmically affected by the inherent violence in these acts. Without such “absorbers” of karma would it be possible for renouncers to escape samsara?
- How has the religiosity-based gender disparity impacted women’s role in the Jaina community? Have there been any reform movements lead by or targeting Jaina women specifically?
Further Reading
- Chapple, Christopher Key. 2007. Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life. Cambridge: International Society for Science and Religion.
- Jain, Vaibhav, and Sanjay Jain. 2014. “Legal Aspect of Jain Religion as separate entity.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 19, no. 2 (February 2014): 08-19.
- Glasenapp, Helmuth Von, and Shridhar B. Shrotri. 1999. Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
Chapter 3 - Buddha Dhamma by Christina A. Kilby
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Discussion Questions
- How has Hinduism’s “plural” structure pinged upon Buddhism’s distinct identity within the Indian legal system, especially with respect to personal law?
- Even though Buddhism rose to prominence as a reaction to Brahmanical Hinduism and gained a lot of traction in India, why is it that Buddhism is not viewed as an antagonistic ‘other’ by the Hindu rightwing while Islam is?
- While Dr B.R. Ambedkar and many of his Dalit followers left Hinduism and converted to Buddhism, has the conversion from one faith to another been able to redress the issue of caste for the said people? Has the system of caste been appropriated within Buddhism?
Further Reading
- Omvedt, Gail. 2014. Buddhism in India: Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. New Delhi: Sage Publications Pvt Ltd.
- Thurman, Robert A. F. 2011. Why the Dalai Lama matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World. New York: Atria Books.
- Ambedkar, B. R. 1957. The Buddha and His Dhamma.
- Harvey, Peter. 1990. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter 4 - Sikh Dharam by Pashaura Singh
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Discussion Questions
- What has been the role of gurmukhi in propagation of Sikhism. Has the distinct nature of the language limited the reach of the religion, especially as Sikhism began to reach foreign shores with waves of migration, or did it aid Sikhism by helping it carve out an identity distinct from Islam and Hinduism?
- If human life is a “precious jewel” then can Sikhism accommodate suicide, euthanasia, or any “harm” to the human self?
- Whilst remarriage of widows was permitted by Guru Amar Das how has this been implemented? a) are widows given a similar status as compared to a married woman, and b) how rampant is the idea of widow remarriage?
- Historically, Sikhism has had to go through a process of creating a distinct religious identity, separate from Hinduism and Islam. How has this need to carve out a distinct identity impacted Sikhism’s ability to adapt, integrate, and evolve in a geo-political context where it continues to be surrounded by two dominant religious traditions - Islam and Hinduism?
Further Reading
- Grewal, J.S. 2005. The Khalsa: Sikh and Non-Sikh Perspectives. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
- Singh, Nikky-Guninder Kaur. 2011. Sikhism: An Introduction. London: I.B. Tauris.
- Jakobsh, Doris R. 2010. Sikhism and Women: History, Texts, and Experience. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 5 - Indian Zoroastrian Traditions by T. M. Luhrmann
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Discussion Questions
- According to Zoroastrians, if God will win the cosmic war through human initiative then is God, according to Zoroastrians, an all-powerful God? Why does God need to rely on human inputs?
- “Strict rules about endogamy and the prohibitions on non-Parsi presence in fire temples that continue to be observed in India may date from this period, as such restrictions are not found today in Iran.” While the Zoroastrian community abroad does not impose such restrictions why does the Indian Zoroastrian community have such strict rules? Were those escaping religious persecution more concerned about their religion and religious identities in new lands and hence more strict?
- “Intense arguments surround the practice, some within the Mumbai community praising the ecological wisdom of the method [leaving the dead bodies to be consumed by vulture] and others condemning it as barbaric.” What is the ecological impact of leaving corpses to be consumed by vultures? How has the changing ecology, for example disappearing vultures, in turn affected this ritual?
- While Christianity relied on vernacular languages and “inter-culturation” to make greater inroads into the Indian society why have Zoroastrians in India not applied the same?
- How are Parsi practices different from Zoroastrians in Iran? What are the points of departure between the two groups?
Further Reading
- Hinnells, John R., and Alan Williams, eds. 2012. Parsis in India and the Diaspora. Abingdon: Routledge.
- Ringer, Monica M. 2011. Pious Citizens: Reforming Zoroastrianism in India and Iran. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
- Palsetia, Jesse S. 2008. The Parsis of India: Preservation of Identity in Bombay City. New Delhi: Manohar.
- Sharafi, Mitra. 2016. Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772–1947. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter 6 - Indian Judaic Traditions by Shalva Weil
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Discussion Questions
- Given the small size of the Jewish community, what are the measures initiated by the Indian government to protect the Jewish heritage and culture. While many other religious groups have their own personal law, do Jews also have similar laws under Indian law?
- In India, the Jewish communities are divided into “White” or “Parades” Jews, i.e. non-indigenous to Kerala, and Malabari, “Black” Jews who claim that they were the original inhabitants. Prior to large-scale immigration to Israel many of these distant groups did not interact with each other. Do Jewish practices permit such caste-based hierarchies and segregation? Are there similar practices observed in Jewish communities in other parts of the world?
- “India has been the model host country for different communities of Jews, who have never suffered from anti-Semitism at the hands of their fellow countrymen (except during a brief period in South India under the hands of the Portuguese).” Why did Jews move to from India to Israel in significant numbers even though they have not faced any persecution?
Further Reading
- Katz, Nathan. 2000. Who are the Jews of India? Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Egorova, Yulia. 2009. Jews and India: Perceptions and Image. Routledge.
- Silliman, Jael. 2001. Jewish Portraits, Indian Frames: Women's Narratives from a Diaspora of Hope. Lebanon: University Press of New England.
- Slapak, Orpa, ed. 2003. The Jews of India: A Story of Three Communities. Jerusalem: Israel Museum.
Chapter 7 - Indian Christian Traditions by M. Thomas Thangaraj and Rakesh Peter Dass
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Discussion Questions
- Given that the Portuguese were interested in spreading Christianity and the inroads made by Western colonialists was aided by Christian missionaries, how has this impacted the inter-religious relations in modern-day India?
- Christianity in India has co-opted local and Hindu practices. How has the Christian faith been able to maintain distinct Christian features and yet align with cultural sensibilities? Has this impacted its doctrine?
- Given the fact that the caste system and associated power hierarchies have followed Dalits to Christianity, does that mean that the caste system is a Hindu problem or and Indian?
Further Reading
- Fernando, Leonard, and G. Gispert-Sauch. 2014. Christianity in India: Two Thousand Years of Faith. Gurgaon, Haryana: Penguin, Viking.
- Raj, Selva J., and Corinne G. Dempsey. 2002. Popular Christianity in India: Riting Between the Lines. Albany: State University of New York Press.
- Dube, Saurabh. 2008. "Conversion, Translation, and Life-History in Colonial Central India." In Beyond Conversion and Syncretism Indigenous Encounters with Missionary Christianity, 1800–2000, 27–50. Georgetown: Georgetown University Press.
Chapter 8 - Indian Muslim Traditions by Peter Gottschalk
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Discussion Questions
- Does the overlapping of Middle-Eastern studies and Islamic studies create a hurdle in distinguishing between Arab culture and Islamic traditions? How has this impacted Indian Muslims and their cultural practices?
- While Hindutva organizations have painted Muslims as “perpetual foreigners” how is it that these organizations at the same time also have separate branches that specifically involves Muslims, eg. Rashtriya Muslim Manch (RMM) which is a part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)?
- Point out to verses in Qu’ran or references in the Hadith that talk about inter-religious understanding and non-violence against the religious ‘other’.
- How have Hindu and other indigenous religious and cultural practices seeped into Indian Muslim traditions? How have Muslims reconciled their texts with these new practices?
Further Reading
- Hasan, Qamar. 1988. Muslims in India: Attitudes, Adjustments and Reactions. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre.
- Narain, Vrinda. 2008. Reclaiming the Nation: Muslim Women and the Law in India. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- Sikand, Yoginder. 2004. Muslims in India Since 1947: Islamic Perspectives on Inter-Faith Relation. London: Routledge Curzon.