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Course Details

Readings in Modern Hinduism

$1,500.00

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Course Code:

HAM6403

Credit Hours:

3

Course Level:

600

Area of Study:

History and Method

Course Description

HAM6403 - Who were the thinkers and architects of modern India? How did their views of Hinduism and of the history of Indian civilization shape their vision of the reality of post-Independence India? What projects of reform, modernization, or social change did they set in motion? In this course, we shall read extracts from the works of thinkers who articulated the concept of a “Hindu” religion, often in dialogue with Western scholars and missionaries. We shall particularly focus on the role of an English-speaking elite in this process, especially those active in the major reform movements, Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, and Arya Samaj. Throughout, we shall contrast traditional modes of self-relation, guided by ethical reflection and individual self-discipline (askesis), with modern views of Hinduism, including its cultural, nationalistic, and assimilated expressions. 
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Program of Study

This course is part of the following programs:

Ph.D. (advanced MA students may register for this course with the instructor’s permission)

MASTER OF ARTS IN HINDU STUDIES
DOCTOR OF HINDU STUDIES

Required / Core / Elective:

Elective for Hinduism and the West – Distribution

Prerequisites:

Admission into a HUA Graduate program of study (MAH or DHS)

Semester / Quarter:

Semester

Number of Weeks:

16

Semester / Quarter Offered:

Fall 2023

Days of the Week:

Sunday

Time:

10 am to 1 pm – EST

Start Date:

August 27, 2023

End Date:

December 17, 2023

Faculty

Dr. Joydeep Bagchee

Dr. Joydeep Bagchee is a core doctoral faculty member at the Hindu University of America and a visiting lecturer based in Berlin, Germany. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from New School for Social Research, New York.
read more
joydeep.bagchee@hua.edu

Course Learning Objectives

  • Reconstruct colonial-era debates about the nature of Hinduism and Hindu society.
  • Analyze the role of missionary efforts in transforming Hinduism.
  • Gain a thorough knowledge of the Hindu reform movements.
  • Evaluate how debates about Hindu practices and customs affected colonial and postcolonial era legislation and jurisprudence.

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Course Content

We shall read selections from the following readers:

Sharma, Arvind, ed. Modern Hindu Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Richards, Glyn, ed. A Sourcebook of Modern Hinduism. Abingdon: Routledge, 1996.

Additionally, the following books will be used as textbooks. 

Heimsath, C. H. Indian Nationalism and Hindu Social Reform. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1964.

Jones, Kenneth W. Socio Religious Reform Movements in British India. Delhi: Cambridge University Press and Foundation Books, 1994.

Class Structure

The class will meet for three hours each week. The course is structured as a series of lectures. There will be weekly assignments on each reading. The assignments will take no longer than 30 minutes to complete. Students must demonstrate their ability to reconstruct the argument of the assigned reading and provide some contemporary applications of it.

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Hindu University of America

Main Campus:

  • Pine Lake Retreat Center,
  • 21725 FL-33,
  • Groveland, FL 34736

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Readings in Modern Hinduism