The Emergence of Modern Hinduism : Religion on the Margins of Colonialism

__The Emergence of Modern Hinduism__argues for the importance of regional, vernacular innovation in processes of Hindu modernization. Scholars usually trace the emergence of modern Hinduism to cosmopolitan reform movements, producing accounts that overemphasize the centrality of elite religion and the influence of Western ideas and models. In this study, the author considers religious change on the margins of colonialism by looking at an important local figure, the Tamil Shaiva poet and mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823–1874). Weiss narrates a history of Hindu modernization that demonstrates the transformative role of Hindu ideas, models, and institutions, making this text essential for scholarly audiences of South Asian history, religious studies, Hindu studies, and South Asian studies.**Learn more at[www.luminosoa.org](http://www.luminosoa.org).** The Emergence Of Modern Hinduism Argues For The Importance Of Regional, Vernacular Innovation In Processes Of Hindu Modernization. Scholars Usually Trace The Emergence Of Modern Hinduism To Cosmopolitan Reform Movements, Highlighting The Centrality Of Elite Religion And The Influence Of Western Ideas And Models. This Book Proposes, Instead, That Important Projects Of Modernity Were Pursued On The Colonial Margins, By Actors Deeply Embedded In Tradition And Deploying All Its Resources As The Key Means For Change, Using Texts And Languages Not Associated With Centralized Power Or National Or Global Discourses. It Focuses On One Such Figure, The Tamil Shaiva Poet And Mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823–1874). Ramalinga Emphasized The Continuities Of Tradition, New Revelation, The Possibility Of The Miraculous, And An Ethics Of Inclusion That Challenged Caste And Class Boundaries. His Vision Provided A Counterpoint To Reform Hinduism, Yet His Projects Were No Less Modern Than Their Cosmopolitan Counterparts. By Including Ramalinga, And Figures Like Him, In Historical Accounts Of Religious Modernization, We Can Develop New Ways Of Thinking About Modern Hinduism That More Accurately Reflect Its Diverse Ways Of Being Modern. The Book Thus Effects A Fundamental Shift In The Way We Conceptualize The Emergence Of Modern Religion, As Well As The Concept Of The “modern” Itself, In South Asia And Beyond. Richard S. Weiss. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Also Available In Print Form. Mode Of Access Internet Via World Wide Web. English. A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org.The Emergence of Modern Hinduism argues for the importance of regional, vernacular innovation in processes of Hindu modernization. Scholars usually trace the emergence of modern Hinduism to cosmopolitan reform movements, producing accounts that overemphasize the centrality of elite religion and the influence of Western ideas and models. In this study, the author considers religious change on the margins of colonialism by looking at an important local figure, the Tamil Shaiva poet and mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823–1874). Weiss narrates a history of Hindu modernization that demonstrates the transformative role of Hindu ideas, models, and institutions, making this text essential for scholarly audiences of South Asian history, religious studies, Hindu studies, and South Asian studies. A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. The Emergence of Modern Hinduism argues for the importance of regional, vernacular innovation in processes of Hindu modernization. Scholars usually trace the emergence of modern Hinduism to cosmopolitan reform movements, producing accounts that overemphasize the centrality of elite religion and the influence of Western ideas and models. In this study, the author considers religious change on the margins of colonialism by looking at an important local figure, the Tamil Shaiva poet and mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823-1874). Weiss narrates a history of Hindu modernization that demonstrates the transformative role of Hindu ideas, models, and institutions, making this text essential for scholarly audiences of South Asian history, religious studies, Hindu studies, and South Asian studies The Emergence of Modern Hinduism argues for the importance of regional, vernacular innovation in processes of Hindu modernization. Scholars usually trace the emergence of modern Hinduism to cosmopolitan reform movements, producing accounts that overemphasize the centrality of elite religion and the influence of Western ideas and models. In this study, the author considers religious change on the margins of colonialism by looking at an important local figure, the Tamil Shaiva poet and mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823–1874). Weiss narrates a history of Hindu modernization that demonstrates the transformative role of Hindu ideas, models, and institutions, making this text essential for scholarly audiences of South Asian history, religious studies, Hindu studies, and South Asian studies. Learn more at(http://www.luminosoa.org) www.luminosoa.org .