Hinduism: Experiments in the Sacred, Religious Traditions of the World Series

by David M. Knipe

Succinct and authoritative, this detailed introduction to Hinduism brings into grand focus the history, peoples, traditions, and geography of South Asia. David Knipe integrates his own intensive study of the basic Hindu texts with his years of primary research and fieldwork in South Asia. Knipe creates a five-fold model for presenting the rich complexities of the Hindu world, offering an absorbing survey of the central Hindu deities, myths, doctrines, rituals, sects, and personalities. One chapter brings to vivid life the essential features of this fascinating tradition by narrating a single day in the life of a Hindu woman and the life history of a forty-year-old man. Hinduism also features a glossary of Hindu terms and a list of Hindu deities, powers, and deified heroes, providing the reader with a precise and colorful understanding of the Hindu pantheon and world view.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Gnosticism, Read For School

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 1991

Reviews

[David Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough introduction to a huge subject. The high points are a walk through a notional Hindu town highlight the sounds and sights and smells and feeling of a complex religion permeating all aspects of daily life and a rather poetical riff on goddesses. I found the anthropology and storytelling and descriptions of the traditions much more compelling than the abstract outlines. The historical timeline and perspective were very useful. There is clearly love and respect in the writing.

[Sunil Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative in parts, some passages were philosophical and profound.

But my usual gripe, Euro-centric/American way of looking at Indic thought and religion.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is fairly short but very dense. Hinduism is a very complicated religion and describing it in more than 50 pages and fewer than 200 pages leaves the reader with both a superficial and complicated understanding of the religion.