Religion And Identity In South Asia And Beyond Essays In Honor Of Patrick Olivelle

Book Description

This scholarly collection explores the intricate relationships between religious practice and cultural identity across South and Central Asia through sixteen carefully researched essays. Created as a tribute to renowned Sanskrit scholar Patrick Olivelle, the volume reflects decades of rigorous academic inquiry into how spiritual traditions shape and are shaped by the communities that embrace them.

The contributors, many of whom studied under Olivelle's guidance, examine how different religious groups construct their identities within complex cultural landscapes. From Brahmin communities to Buddhist practitioners, from Dalit movements to Muslim societies, these studies reveal the dynamic ways that faith traditions interact with social structures and historical circumstances.

Rather than treating religion as an abstract concept, these essays ground spiritual practices in their lived contexts, showing how ascetic traditions, legal frameworks, and sacred texts have evolved alongside the communities that preserve them. The work demonstrates particular sensitivity to how contemporary scholarship approaches Asian religious studies, acknowledging both the richness of these traditions and the complexities of cross-cultural understanding.

For readers interested in how spiritual identity develops within broader social frameworks, this collection offers valuable insights into the ongoing dialogue between individual practice and collective belonging. The volume serves both as serious academic scholarship and as a window into the diverse ways that religious consciousness manifests across different cultures and historical periods.