Review (PDF) The Hindu Traditions: A Concise Introduction
Renowned lecturer Mark W. Muesse brings readers into an encounter with the world's oldest living religious tradition, known as Hinduism. Muesse's brief survey challenges the perception of Hinduism as one religious tradition, showing how wonderfully rich and diverse this ancient story truly is. Muesse traces the vast history and practices of classic and diverse traditions, moving from the origins in the Indus Valley up through classic and contemporary periods. He exhibits a keen sense of the myriad spiritualities associated with Hinduism, demonstrating how the religious tradition is both monotheistic and polytheistic. With photographs and maps, chapter overviews, timelines, summaries, key terms, study questions, suggested readings, and a glossary, Muesse's work incorporates valuable edagogy to enhance his engaging account of the many Hindu traditions.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Fortress Press; 50565th edition (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800697901
ISBN-13: 978-0800697907
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.5 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #653,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #47 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism > History #97 in Books > History > World > Religious > Hinduism #2200 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > History
I have struggled to digest information from numerous other sources that chronicle the evolution of the Hindu traditions. This is the first one that delivers the information with clarity, precision, and understandable language. Beautiful illustrations complement the text and enhance comprehension so that you remain engaged, no make that ENTHRALLED, throughout the entire book! Fabulous book that is recommended reading for all fans of religious studies and should be required reading for aspiring yogis.
The textbook format helps to breakdown certain core elements. The only complaint is the brevity, and it seems like the whole book is a race. Maybe an additional 100 pages would've helped. I would have also like to read about the three gunas which were absent in the book.Overall, this is a fantastic book to introduce you to Hinduism.
The Hindu traditions are so vast and ancient, it is hard to be "concise", but this book does a great job without getting bound up in deep and treacherous academic language. Excellent resource for the curious and beginners in learning about religious traditions of India.
For a short introduction to Hinduism this book feels fairly comprehensive. It is well-illustrated, clearly written, and offers a fairly broad and sufficiently deep introduction to Hinduism. If you are looking for a short introduction text this will suffice, but it may not be the only one you want for the semester (because it is after all fairly short). All in all, however, I found it competent, succinct, and pass along a high recommendation.
A good general overview of Hinduism approachable for undergrads.
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