TY  - BOOK
AU  - Michaels, Axel
TI  - Hinduism: : Past and Present
SN  - 9780691089539(pbk.)
U1  - 294.5 
PY  - 2004///
CY  - Princeton(New Jersey)	
PB  - Princeton University Press
KW  - Hinduism
KW  - Religion
KW  - Mythology
N1  - https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691089539/hinduism
N2  - "Hinduism is currently followed by one-fifth of humankind. Far from a monolithic theistic tradition, the religion comprises thousands of gods, a complex caste system, and hundreds of languages and dialects. Such internal plurality inspires vastly ranging rites and practices amongst Hinduism’s hundreds of millions of adherents. It is therefore not surprising that scholars have been hesitant to define universal Hindu beliefs and practices. In this book, Axel Michaels breaks this trend. He examines the traditions, beliefs, and rituals Hindus hold in common through the lens of what he deems its “identificatory habitus,” a cohesive force that binds Hindu religions together and fortifies them against foreign influences. Thus, in his analysis, Michaels not only locates Hinduism’s profoundly differentiating qualities, but also provides the framework for an analysis of its social and religious coherence.
"
ER  -