Orientalism and Religion: Post-Colonial Theory, India and "The Mystic East "

The Power Of Definitions: A Genealogy Of The Idea Of 'the Mystical' -- Disciplining Religion -- Sacred Texts, Hermeneutics And World Religions -- Orientalism And Indian Religions -- The Modern Myth Of 'hinduism' -- 'mystic Hinduism': Vedanta And The Politics Of Representation -- Orientalism And The Discovery Of 'buddhism' -- The Politics Of Privatization: Indian Religion And The Study Of Mysticism -- Beyond Orientalism? Religion And Comparativism In A Postcolonial Era. Richard King. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [259]-276) And Index.

Orientalism and Religion offers us a timely discussion of the implications of contemporary post-colonial theory for the study of religion. Richard King examines the way in which notions such as mysticism, religion, Hinduism and Buddhism are taken for granted. He shows us how religion needs to be reinterpreted along the lines of cultural studies. Drawing on a variety of post-structuralist and post-colonial thinkers, such as Foucault, Gadamer, Said, and Spivak, King provides us with a challenging series of reflections on the nature of Religious Studies and Indology.

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Discusses the implications of contemporary postcolonial theory for the study of religion. Examines the way in which notions such as "mysticism," "religion," "Hinduism," and "Buddhism" are taken for granted, and shows how "religion" might be redescribed in terms of cultural studies, drawing on a variety of post-structuralist and postcolonial thinkers including Foucault, Gadamer, Said, and Spivak. The author is a reader in religious studies at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Orientalism and Religion offers a timely discussion of the implications of contemporary post-colonial theory for the study of religion. It draws on post-structuralist and post-colonial thinkers to reflect on Religion and Indology.