Tagged with Hinduism …

NEWS: Recognizing Difference is Good

In American society we have (understandably) a multitude of opinions about God. This goes without saying. But how we deal with difference has consequences. The result of multiculturalism and pluralism has, according to professor of religion Stephen Prothero, collapsed all of these ideas about God and religious belief into one manageable whole. In an attempt … Continue reading →

NEWS: Britain Approves Open-Air Funeral Pyre

Devout Hindu Davender Ghai was overjoyed with the Court of Appeal ruling that will allow him to be cremated on an open-air funeral pyre. Although British law forbids cremations anywhere aside from crematoriums, Ghai believes that an open-air cremation is critical for a good death and rebirth. While many cremations in India take place on … Continue reading →

NEWS: Prayer, Poetry, and the Sounds of Sacred Energy

Whether religious or non-religious, most Americans, according Krista Tippett, claim that they pray. Recently, many have rediscovered various contemplative traditions and even non-religious prayer. Anoushka Shankar, daughter of musician Ravi Shankar, recalls her own approach to Sanskrit chants and prayers in her music. She considers this a connection to nature, in contradistinction to Western theistic … Continue reading →

NEWS: Religion in Review

As 2009 comes to an end media outlets review the highlights of the past year and decade. USA Today concluded that “God, politics, and pop culture intertwined in ’09.” Contributor Cathy Lynn Grossman included the renewed vigor of Catholic lobbyists, the death of Oral Roberts, the increasing popularity of Rick Warren and President Barack Obama’s … Continue reading →

NEWS: A Seeker’s Gift to the World

There is no shortage of internet sites which deal with religion. However, many tend to be quite specific about what brand of religion is championed. Despite specific truth-claims there are a growing number of sites designed for those who seek ecumenical one-stop-shopping, and those which offer a myriad of resources about the world’s innumerable belief-systems. … Continue reading →

NEWS: America is a Hindu Nation?

A recent article in Newsweek suggests that Americans no longer reflect a Christian worldview. Quoting surveys from the Pew Forum, Newsweek, and Harris, journalist Lisa Miller asserts that many Americans display popular Hindu beliefs. First, referencing a 2008 Pew Forum survey, Miller explains that 65% of Americans believe “many religions can lead to eternal life.” … Continue reading →

NEWS: No “God spot” to be found in the brain

Reuters have reported the recent publication of How God Changes Your Brain. This book takes a neurotheological – ‘the study of the brain’s role in religious belief’- approach to prayer and meditation in an effort to understand the biological processes involved. The writers, Andrew Newburg and Mark Robert Waldman have used brain scans on individuals … Continue reading →

Religion Compass July Issue – now available

The July issue of Religion Compass is now available here! This month, we’ve published our largest issue to date: 18 high-quality articles surveying the most recent literature in the field of religious studies! We are also delighted to announce the publication of our first video article: Changing Status in India’s Marginal Music Communities Zoe Sherinian … Continue reading →

NEWS: MP Proposes Dowry Ban

While India currently has an anti-dowry law, prohibiting grooms’ families from requesting money and gifts from brides’ families, the United Kingdom has no comparable law. Virendra Sharma, a labour MP, is proposing such a law, arguing that women of South Asian heritage are vulnerable to domestic violence and abuse if their marriages operate on a … Continue reading →

NEWS: Church Bombed Near Kathmandu

Two people were killed and fifteen injured when a Roman Catholic church in Nepal’s Lalitpur district was bombed this weekend. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, pamphlets from the National Defense Army, a Hindu extremist group, were found at the church. The group wants Nepal to be declared a Hindu state, as … Continue reading →

NEWS: Annual Report on International Religious Freedom Released

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has just released its 2009 annual report. The report, which is the most comprehensive in the Commission’s decade-long life, recommends that President Obama designate Burma, Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, People‘s Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam as ‘countries of … Continue reading →

NEWS: Yoga Celebrated, Despite Fatwa

The Indonesian island of Bali recently held a week-long yoga festival to promote “spiritual tourism” on the island, bringing people of various ethnic and religious groups together to practice this traditionally Hindu form of meditation, chanting, and exercise. Indonesia’s Islamic Ulema Council issued a fatwa ordering all Muslims to stop participating in yoga, stating that … Continue reading →

NEWS: Indian Response to Indonesian Yoga Debate

The recent decision by the Indonesian Ulemas Council to issue a fatwah declaring Yoga as incompatible with Islam has been met with disbelief by Indian religious commentators.  A fascinating viewpoint outlined in a ‘comment’ piece by Firoz Bakht Amhed, written as a rejoinder to the current debate, argues that Yoga is fully compatible with Islam, … Continue reading →

NEWS: Indonesian Ulemas Council Bans Yoga

Just a few months after Malaysia formally banned yoga, the conservative Indonesian Ulemas Council has issued a fatwa prohibiting the practice of yoga by Indonesian Muslims. The religious edict is the latest in a series of controversial decrees, including the one banning non-Islamic banking, which resonates with Islamic revivalism in the largest Muslim country. Although … Continue reading →