Religion for a Secular Age: Max Müller, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta

Religion for a Secular Age provides a transnational history of modern Vedānta through a comparative study of two of its most important exponents, Friedrich Max Muller (1823–1900) and Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902). This book explains why Vedānta's appeal spanned the ostensibly very different contexts of colonial India and Victorian Britain and America, and how this ancient form of thought was translated by Muller and Vivekananda into a modern form of philosophy or religion. These religiously-committed men attempted to reconcile religion with modernity by appealing to Advaita (literally,'non-dualistic') Vedānta's monistic interpretation of reality. The'scientific'study of religion allegedly demonstrated the evolutionary superiority of Vedānta and the possibility of religion's survival in'the light of modern science'. They believed Vedānta could also provide the religious basis for moral engagement in this world, even as the hold of orthodox Christianity and traditional Hinduism appeared to be weakening. Vedānta thus served as a way of articulating a form of religion suitable for a secular age – religion which has embraced modern forms of thought while breaking away from creeds, scriptures and institutions to thrive in the spheres of public debate of London, Calcutta and New York. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Dedication 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Abbreviations 10 Conventions of Transliteration and Translation 12 Introduction 14 1 Foundations 28 2 The Science of Religion and Religion as Science 62 3 Vedānta in Defence of Religion 92 4 Vedānta and the Religious Foundation of Ethics 126 5 Ramakrishna, Vedānta and the Essence of Hinduism 154 Conclusion 184 Bibliography 188 Index 198 Max Müller, Swami Vivekananda and Vedānta Religion for a Secular Age provides a transnational history of modern Vedanta through a comparative study of two of its most important exponents, Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900) and Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). This book explains why Vedanta's appeal spanned the ostensibly very different contexts of colonial India and Victorian Britain This book analyses changes in intelligence governance and offers a comparative analysis of intelligence democratisation, focusing on Latin America and Europe.