RELG 073. Namaste America

The history of Hindu traditions in America can be divided into two groups. First, there are movements, such as transcendentalism, which are “Eastern-inspired” and borrow “Hindu” and “Buddhist” concepts, although participants generally refrained from using these terms or explicitly connecting themselves with either Hinduism or Buddhism. Secondly, the arrival of Indian immigrants, many of them post-1965, although a few earlier, built temples and attempted to reconstruct their religion in a variety of ways. In-between these two groups is a third ambiguous group. Are guru movements such as Sai Baba and Osho “Hindu-inspired” or “Hindu?” How is ISKCON articulating itself to be both part of and not part of “Hinduism?” And what about the practice of yoga? Is yoga always related to “Hinduism” or can it be extracted completely from Indian culture and “Hinduism?” This class will flesh out these categories to determine what exactly is meant by the terms “Hindu” and “Hinduism” in the American context. As part of our discussion, we will also address the topics of Hindu nationalism, caste, anti-blackness, Islamophobia, Orientalism, and the politics of brown mutuality.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for ASIA.
Spring 2024. Persaud.
Catalog chapter: Religion
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/religion

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