RELG 361 - Modern Hinduism

Credits: (3)
College Curriculum: COLL 200, COLL 300
Domain (Anchored): CSI
Domain (Reaching Out): ALV

An introduction to the study of Hinduism in modern India, exploring the way in which Hindu religiosity has both influenced and been influenced by political, social, economic, and environmental issues specific to the modern age (circa 1800 to the present-day). Our study of modern Hinduism will emphasize: (1) the impacts of British colonialism, (2) the social realities of caste, untouchability, and gender, (3) Hindu nationalism (and Hindu-Muslim relations) in Indian social and political life, and (4) effects of and responses to climate change and environmental exploitation. Other topics may include: patriarchy, gender roles, and feminism in modern India; the shared freedom struggles of African Americans and colonized South Asians; key figures in colonial-era Hindu reform efforts; Partition and its impacts; diaspora Hinduism (e.g., Hindus in modern America); transnational neo-Hindu guru-led movements; ethnographic studies of lived Hinduism in modern India; and impacts upon traditional Hindu religiosity of globalization, neoliberalism, and rapid urbanization.