Description

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One of the world's oldest forms of faith, Hinduism has an unbroken trajectory of beliefs and rituals that have continued for many millennia through the footsteps of pilgrims and the pedagogies of theologists; through myth, science and politics. But what does all that mean to the modern Hindu today? Why do Hindus call themselves so? Is it merely because their parents were Hindus? In what way does the faith speak to those who profess to follow it? What does Hinduism mean to the everyday-practicing or sometimes-accessing ordinary Hindu?

Away from the raucous debate around religion, this is the journey of a common Hindu, an attempt to understand why, for so many Hindus, their faith is one of the most powerful arguments for plurality, for unity in diversity, and even more than the omnipresent power of God, the sublime courage and conviction of man. Being Hindu is an exploration of Hinduism in a way you have never seen before, almost through your own eyes.

This is the first book on Hinduism to have won the Wilbur Award given by the Religion Communicators Council of America for excellence in writing about religion.

About the Author

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Hindol Sengupta is an award-winning author of nine books. He was educated in South Asian history and international relations at Worcester College, Oxford, as a Chevening Scholar, and in business and finance at Columbia University as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Praise For…

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"Sengupta introduces non-Hindu audiences to the world’s third largest religion using a practitioner’s perspective in this quick but substantive text. . . . Sengupta’s summaries are succinct and knowledgeable, and his expertise is evident. He includes scholarly analyses of Indian nationalism and a literature review of Hindu religious works, with some especially interesting discussions of Hindu takes on recent religious debates, such as the tensions between religion and science.... [F]or readers with little knowledge of Hinduism but a strong interest in it, Sengupta will be a welcome guide." Publishers Weekly

"Sengupta offers not a primer of Hindu beliefs but, rather, a personal inquiry rich in history and analysis about what it means to be a twenty-first-century Hindu.... [When] he focuses on Hindu philosophy, he is eloquently clarifying. . . . Segupta’s enlightening elucidation is invaluable for understanding Hinduism, India, and the growing Hindu community in the U.S." Booklist

"The writing is warm and appealing as Sengupta deftly presents a tradition that is ancient, wise, and accepting. VERDICT: A satisfying and engaging guide to Hinduism for inquiring minds." Library Journal

"With this audacious and articulate book, journalist Hindol Sengupta presents an impassioned and most welcome case for Hinduism as an ancient and sophisticated tradition with great relevance for the contemporary world. . . . The book is not so much a scholarly presentation of Hinduism, as one might find in an introductory textbook, as it is an invitation to the reader to join the author in his discovery of the tradition of his upbringing." --Reading Religion