Redemptive Encounters: Three Modern Styles in the Hindu Tradition

by Lawrence A. Babb

The three modern Hindu movements that Babb describes so well in this compelling book are prominent today in India as well as in other areas of the world. Babb is directly concerned with the Hindu tradition's capacity to manifest common themes in extremely diverse ways. While there is justification for viewing Hinduism as an inclusive cultural order, the three movements challenge the notion of a single Hindu belief system, for each represents a construction of the world and the human situation quite different from the others. In this clear exploration, Babb challenges readers to perform a careful analysis; to discover the ties that bind Hinduism's diverse doctrines, symbols, attitudes, and principles; and to understand Hinduism's worldwide appeal and its political and social effects.

257 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 1987