REL 391 - Modern Hinduism

4.00 credits.

An in-depth exploration, building on the foundation established in Religious Studies 291, of issues facing contemporary Hinduism. This course covers the British colonization of India; the Bengal Renaissance; Hindu reform movements; the life and teachings of such figures as Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo; Hinduism and science; and Hindu nationalism in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Particular attention will be paid to issues arising from the spread of Hinduism beyond the subcontinent, especially in the West, and the impact of Hinduism upon Western culture, from the transcendentalists to the theosophists to the Beatles. *Prerequisite(s): REL 290.