Yet for a scholar like doniger whom the critics refer to patronisingly as wendy, it is often the little known, the secret, the repressed, that constitute the most attractive objects of study. A critique of wendy donigers portrayal of hinduism swarajya. Wendy doniger oflaherty is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. An alternative story about wendy doniger and the hindus. This book is also alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. Some years ago a professor of sanskrit at an ivy league school was asked a question in sanskrit by a lay follower of hinduism and the professor replied that he would answer the question in english, a statement the audience. 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. Wendy doniger was born in new york city to immigrant nonobservant jewish parents, and raised in great neck, new york, where her father, lester l. In the light of foregoing, it is incumbent upon contemporary hindus and hindu.
Donigers book on hinduism put on hold india news,the. She is an american indologist with dozens of publication under her name. On hinduism is the culmination of over 40 years of scholarship from. The hindus by wendy doniger is one of the worst books ive ever had the. On hinduism by wendy doniger 2015, paperback for sale. Ancient hindu texts speak of the three aims of human life.
A landmark work in which the six major, living, international world religions speak to readers in their own words. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. The hindus an alternative history is an utterly wonderful book. Fight back and take back wendy doniger s valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. On hinduism by wendy doniger, 9780199360079, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It has seven sections based on the different themes. When i received this book, my first thoughts went back to the. Wendy doniger is a fine author and the research she has input to this book is humongous but the worst part more of a realization on my part. Questioning wendy doniger on hinduism in hawaii at annual. S1 e4 wendy doniger on hinduism thinking about religion.
While hardliners accuse doniger of reducing hindu gods to fictions. Wendy doniger s on hinduism is a sort of captstone on an epic career exploring hindu literature, religion, and history. Ive labored all my adult life in the paddy fields of sanskrit, doniger has written 16 books, translated primarily from sanskrit to english with commentary nine other volumes, has contributed to many edited texts and has written hundreds of articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. There has been much handwringing in india about wendy doniger s book, the hindus. She first trained as a dancer under george balanchine and martha graham and then went on to complete two doctorates in sanskrit and indian studies from harvard and oxford. Includes more than 60 essays and lectures spanning the decadeslong career of one of hinduism s most prominent scholars. For them, neoved antic hinduism is the only hinduism, or alternatively, is the only hinduism that matters. With her inimitable insight and expertise doniger illuminates those. The notice demanded that the publisher withdraw this book too. Step back from the brink calls by citizens for restraint febmarch 2019 south asia loses a voice of sanity asma jahangir 19522018 india.
Cibele aldrovandi teaches india and hinduism at the university of sao paulo, brazil. While in high school, she studied dance under george balanchine and martha graham. Hinduism brings together over 300 texts from 1500 b. She was a member of encyclopaedia britannicas editorial board of advisors. Several books of each of those sorts exist, some of them quite good, which you might read alongside this one. Wendy doniger on how indias sexual conservatism is a result of the british, not mughals book extract many of the englishspeaking hindus came to accept the british evaluation of hinduism, in a. On hinduism ebook by wendy doniger 9780199360093 rakuten kobo. Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions in the divinity school at the university of chicago.
Although she is a wellknown authority on hinduism, her bestseller book has been rightly criticized as having many factual errors, and her perspective on things indian, vedic, and hindu has been questioned time and again. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. For those who already know and admire wendy donigers work, this is a handy if hefty compendium. Doniger, a scholar of religion and professor at the university of chicago, wrote the hindus. Wendy doniger, a professor of history of religion at university of chicago, is a prizewinning author of book, the hindus. This book is a collection of essays on hinduism by the author wendy doniger. Oct 26, 2015 the narrative sweep is epicwendy doniger, with exceptional brio, tells us how the story of hinduism continues to multiply.
Hindus need to be wary of the intractable opposition between this hindu and that hindu that is falsely posited and perpetrated by orientalists like doniger. Publishers weekly clear and direct this will stand as a reliable resource to return to frequently. Beyond dharma speaking tiger books speaking tiger books. Wendy doniger s book on hinduism the right wing muslims made such a fuss about salman rushdie, most of them did not even read the book satanic verses, or even know that it was in english. This magisterial norton anthology, edited by worldrenowned scholars under the direction of pulitzer prize winner jack miles, offers a portable library of more than 1,000 primary texts from the worlds major religions. Prasannarajan, india today anyone seriously concerned with hinduism in the contemporary world will be well advised to read, enjoy, engage and even argue with this book. A response to wendy donigers the repression of religious. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist who has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. Wendy doniger is one of the foremost scholars of hinduism in the world. Why the outrage on wendy doniger s controversial book. Unprecedented in scope and approach, the norton anthology of world religions. Recoiling from hindu india, forster was relieved to enter the relatively. 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.
The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in. Wendy doniger tries to remedy the enduring impression of a unified hinduism. Britannica encyclopedia of world religions wendy doniger. After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. One of the worlds most acclaimed and engaging scholars of hinduism wendy donigers presents in her new book beyond dharma a groundbreaking interpretation of ancient indian texts and their historic influence on subversive resistance. 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. This is emphatically not a religion of any single book. In this conversation we discuss a number of themes from the book, including her own religious background, common misconceptions about hinduism, the caste system, orientalism, the socalled hindu trinity, hindu nationalism, a controversy in india over the charge.
The volume features jack miless illuminating general introduction. During qa period she reported that she had used donigers book on hinduism in her teaching. Scholars and intellectuals across the board are critical and worried about penguins decision to withdraw the book and pulp the remaining copies. On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. Wendy doniger subverts accepted notions of dharma using the prism of the arthashastra and kamasutra. Buy the paperback book the norton anthology of world religions. Wendy donigers derogatory hinduism studies introduction i do not believe in burning books, but wendy donigers 779page tome titled, the hindus.
For anyone seeking a deeper and more nuanced understanding of hinduism, this book is a must read. Wendy doniger s book is a tribute to hinduism s complexity, not an insult this article is more than 6 years old. Rajiv malhotra born 15 september 1950 is an indianamerican author who, after a career in the computer and telecom industries, took early retirement in 1995 to found the infinity foundation, which focuses on indic studies, and also funds projects such as columbia universitys project to translate the tibetan buddhist tengyur apart from the foundation, malhotra promotes a nonwestern view. Read on hinduism by wendy doniger available from rakuten kobo. The narrative sweep is epic wendy doniger, with exceptional brio, tells us how the story of hinduism continues to multiply. Her research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. Examines a rich array of hindu conceptspolytheism, death, gender, art, contemporary puritanism, nonviolence, and many more. Prasannarajan, india today this tremendously spirited, agile and learned book should be the standard history of hinduism for many years to come.
Outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of hindus. On hinduism paperback wendy doniger oxford university press. Feb, 2014 outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of hindus. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations. The latest twist in the tale is the notice served to aleph book company, the publisher of doniger s previous book, on hinduism. Feb 03, 2014 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Patrick olivelle, author of king, governance, and law in ancient india. Bridge of discourse between this hindu and that hindu. Doniger provides several variants of the theme of transposed heads. Harvard university is mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions at the university of chicago. 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. Wendy doniger s scholarship was critiqued at a roundtable panel in hawaii for two hours. Hinduism is a product of this unique heritage to which both this hindu and that hindu have contributed. You will see books on hinduism and buddhism and islam and sikhism and jainism and islam and christianity.
Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions at the university of chicago and the author of over 30 books, most recently the hindus. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. 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. A scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of siva. 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. 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. I had written this for facebook, reproducing it here. I will generally refer to them as the hindutva faction or the hindu right. Since there are so many books about hinduism, the author of yet another one has. Both miles and the editors of the individual sectionswendy doniger for hinduism, donald s. 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. Wendy donigers enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that.
Wendy donigers beyond dharma an extract jayas blog. Pankaj mishra is the author of an end to suffering. Read more read less 20 wendy doniger p2016 audible, inc. In the light of foregoing, it is incumbent upon contemporary hindus and hindu scholars to regain the initiative and using indigenous historiography and cognitive categories and to institute a framework to generate in multiple volumes a genuine and authentic. Mar, 2014 the latest twist in the tale is the notice served to aleph book company, the publisher of donigers previous book, on hinduism. On hinduism is the culmination of over 40 years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. Miles is general editor of the norton anthology of world religions and, most recently, the author of religion as we know it. Just as my first exposure to buddha came through the sieve of gore vidals creation. This authoritative and comprehensive book answers your questions and exposes you to the concepts, movements, people, and events associated with living and ancient religions, including buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, and judaism.
The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india. One of the worlds most acclaimed and engaging scholars of hinduism wendy doniger s presents in her new book beyond dharma a groundbreaking interpretation of ancient indian texts and their historic influence on subversive resistance. A bricolage a patchwork quilt of scraps of religion sewn in with scraps of social history. At least in an indian bookstore, you will find dozens of books on hinduism as hindus or the hindus if you will see it, live it, and indeed critically shape it, from one generation to another. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to.
Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. May 07, 20 through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding. Both miles and the editors of the individual sections wendy doniger for hinduism, donald s. Wendy donigers book on hinduism the right wing muslims made such a fuss about salman rushdie, most of them did not even read the book satanic verses, or even know that it was in english. Unlike her previous work this was specifically aimed at the indian audience. 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. Right or wrong, wendy donigers the hindus should be. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. For those who already know and admire wendy doniger s work, this is a handy if hefty compendium of. Jul 10, 2019 wendy donigers controversial book the hindus. Wendy doniger reminds us that hinduism is a manysplendoured. Wendy doniger on how indias sexual conservatism is a. An alternative history, which was published in 2009.
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