Textbooks on ‘Hinduism’: defining an ocean described from myriad shores

Abstract

ABSTRACTRelying on a textbook in a course that introduces a religious tradition is similar to the scholarly use of the term ‘Hinduism’: both are highly contested, not easily avoided, and yet have their advantages. So, textbooks devoted to Hindu traditions prove particularly problematic and thought provoking not only about who, what, where, and when they describe but also about the pedagogies used by college and university faculty to teach about Hindu religious practices, beliefs, and sentiments, as well as about religion more generally. A comparative deliberation on the four textbooks most often chosen for American and Canadian classrooms offers a glimpse into these complicated yet significant debates and issues pertinent to teaching about other religious traditions as well.