Hindu images and their worship with special reference to Vaisnavism : a philosophical-theological inquiry / Julius J. Lipner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lipner, Julius., author.

Series:

RoutledgeCurzon Hindu studies series.

Routledge Hindu Studies Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vaishnavism--Customs and practices.

Vaishnavism.

Idols and images--India--Worship.

Idols and images.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (250 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2017.

Summary:

Hinduism comprises perhaps the major cluster of religio-cultural traditions of India, and it can play a valuable role in helping us understand the nature of religion and human responses to life. Hindu image-worship lies at the core of what counts for Hinduism - up-front and subject to much curiosity and misunderstanding, yet it is a defining feature of this phenomenon. This book focuses on Hindu images and their worship with special reference to Vaiṣṇavism, a major strand of Hinduism. Concentrating largely, but not exclusively, on Sanskritic source material, the author shows in the course of the book that Hindu image-worship may be understood via three levels of interpretation: the metaphysical/theological, the narratival or mythic, and the performative or ritual. Analysing the chief philosophical paradigm underlying Hindu image-worship and its implications, the book exemplifies its widespread application and tackles, among other topics such as the origins of image-worship in Hinduism, the transition from Vedic to image worship, a distinguishing feature of Hindu images: their multiple heads and limbs. Finally, with a view to laying the grounds for a more positive dialogic relationship between Hinduism and the "Abrahamic" faiths, which tend to condemn Hindu image-worship as "idolatry", the author examines the theological explanation and justification for embodiment of the Deity in Hinduism and discusses how Hinduism might justify itself against such a charge. Rich in Indological detail, and with an impressive grasp of the philosophical and theological issues underlying Hindu material culture, and image-worship, this book will be of interest to academics and others studying theology, Indian philosophy and Hinduism.

Contents:

1. "The heathen in his blindness [.]" : methodological considerations

2. In retrospect : the trajectory of image-worship in the light of Yamuna's Agamapramanya

3. On conceptualizing the foundations of Hindu image-worship

4. The Samkhya paradigm re-configured and re-imagined : three furthur illustrations

5. The art of the possible : on establishing a convention

6. Hindu dharma and the making of images

7. On the sense and sensibility of Hindu religious art

8. Deity embodied : a theological consideration of the form, worship and meaning of Hindu images.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-351-96782-7

1-315-26565-6

1-351-96781-9

9781315265650

OCLC:

992322646