India & Cambridge - Cambridge University Press India

RELIGION & PHILOSOPHYWael B. Hallaq is James McGill Professor in Islamic Law inthe Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University.9780521180337 624pp PB ` 695.00Gandhi’s Philosophy andthe Quest for HarmonyAnthony J. ParelAnthony Parel affords an entirelynew perspective on thephilosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.He explores how Gandhiconnected the spiritual with thetemporal. As Parel points out‘being more things than one’ is agood description of Gandhi and,with these words in mind, heshows how Gandhi, drawing onthe Indian time-honoured theory of the purusharthas or‘the aims of life’, fitted his ethical, political, aesthetic andreligious ideas together. In this way Gandhi challenged thenotion which prevailed in Indian society that a rift existedbetween the secular and the spiritual, the political and thecontemplative life. Parel’s revealing and insightful bookshows how far-reaching were the effects of Gandhi’spractical philosophy on Indian thought generally and howthese have survived into the present.Anthony J. Parel is Emeritus Professor of Political Science atthe University of Calgary.9780521727488 244pp PB ` 395.00An Introduction toHinduismGavin D. FloodThis book provides a muchneededthematic and historicalintroduction to Hinduism, thereligion of the majority of peoplein India. Dr. Flood traces thedevelopment of Hindu traditionsfrom ancient origins and the majordeities to the modern world.Hinduism is discussed as both aglobal religion and a form ofnationalism. Emphasis is given to the tantric traditions,which have been so influential; to Hindu ritual, morefundamental than belief or doctrine; and to Dravidianinfluences. Some debates within contemporary scholarshipare introduced.Gavin D. Flood, University of Stirling.25 half-tones 7 figures 2 maps9788175960282 341pp PB ` 495.00An Introduction to Islam2nd EditionDavid WainesFor this revised and updatedSecond Edition, David Waines hasadded a long section tacklinghead-on the issues arising fromIslam’s place in the changing worldorder at the turn of the newmillennium. This new section offersthought-provoking reflections onthe place of religion in the currentconflicts.David Waines is Professor of Islamic Studies, Department ofReligious Studies, Lancaster University.9788175961890 368pp PB ` 395.00An Introduction toBuddhismPeter HarveyThis book is a comprehensiveintroduction to the Buddhisttradition as it has developed inthree major cultural areas in Asia,and to Buddhism as it is nowdeveloping in the West. It isintended to be a textbook forstudents of religious and Asianstudies respectively, but will alsobe of interest to those who want ageneral survey of Buddhism and its beliefs. Unlike manyother general books about Buddhism, it not only exploresBuddhist beliefs, but also seeks to show how Buddhismfunctions as a set of practices. It thus includes chapters ondevotion, ethics, monastic practices and meditation.Peter Harvey is Professor of Buddhist Studies at theUniversity of Sunderland.9788175961883 396pp PB ` 595.0036 order online at www.cambridgeindia.org