The idea that there is a truth within the person discovered through introspection is found in most religions. This book examines this metaphor in the history of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism and the methods developed in those religions to realise it, particularly prayer an…
"The idea that there is a truth within the person linked to the discovery of a deeper, more fundamental, more authentic self, has been a common theme in many religions throughout history and an idea that is still with us today. This inwardness or interiority unique to me as an e…
The interface of identity construction practices and the role of knowledge of the past in that continual process manifests itself in contemporary Hindu-Muslim relations and political governance. Presenting' the Past studies the religious, cultural, sociological, and ideological …
Including contributions from leading scholars from Algeria, France, Germany, India and the United States this book traces the rise and turn to moderation of the New Cultural Identitarian Political Movements, often labelled in the West as fundamentalists. Arguing that culturally …
"What does it mean to be a Brahmin, and what could it mean to become one? Over the years, intellectuals and dogmatists have offered plenty of answers to the first question, but the latter presents a cultural puzzle, since normative Brahminical ideology deems it impossible for an…
Challenges the popular view that yoga is timeless and unchanging by examining the history of yoga, focusing on its emergence in modern India and its dramatically changing form and significance in the twentieth century. Alter argues that yoga's transformation into a popular activ…
Challenges the popular view that yoga is timeless and unchanging by examining the history of yoga, focusing on its emergence in modern India and its dramatically changing form and significance in the twentieth century. Alter argues that yoga's transformation into a popular activ…
