Digital Hinduism: Dharma and Discourse in the Age of New Media

by Murali Balaji Temple University (Editor), Murali Balaji Temple University (Contribution by), Denzil Chetty (Contribution by), Sachi Edwards (Contribution by), Ravi Grover (Contribution by)

Overview

This edited volume seeks to build a scholarly discourse about how Hinduism is being defined, reformed, and rearticulated in the digital era and how these changes are impacting the way Hindus view their own religious identities. It seeks to interrogate how digital Hinduism has been shaped in response to the dominant framing of the religion, which has often relied on postcolonial narratives devoid of context and an overemphasis on the geopolitics of the Indian subcontinent post-partition. From this perspective, this volume challenges previous frameworks of how Hinduism has been studied, particularly in the West, where Marxist and Orientalist approaches are often ill-fitting paradigms to understanding Hinduism. This volume engages with and critiques some of these approaches while also enriching existing models of research within media studies, ethnography, cultural studies, and religion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498559171
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	11/01/2017
Series:	Explorations in Indic Traditions: Theological, Ethical, and Philosophical
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,023,453
Product dimensions:	6.33(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Murali Balaji is director of education and curriculum reform for the Hindu American Foundation (HAF).

Table of Contents

Introduction: Digital Paths to the Divine? New Media, Hinduism, and the Transformation of Dharmic Discourse and Practice, Murali Balaji Part I Chapter 1: The Significance of Non-Participatory Digital Religion: The Saiva Siddhanta Church and the Development of a Global Hinduism, Heinz Scheifinger Chapter 2: The Formation of Online Religious Identities: A Case Study of the Internet-Hindu in India’s Cyberspace, Denzil Chetty Chapter 3: From Newsgroups to #hashtags: Mapping Pattern of Online Hindu Religious Practices, K.S. Arul Selvan Part II Chapter 4: Mirabai Sings on YouTube: The Transmission of a Poet-Saint in the Age of Digital Devotion, Lakshmi Chandrashekar Subramanian Chapter 5: Creating Spaces for Progressive Voices in Hinduism: My Experience with the Queer Hindu Blogosphere, Shikhandi Part III Chapter 6: Dharma Deen Alliance: Cyber Resistance and Building Online Hindu-Muslim Unity, Ravi Grover Chapter 7: #Hinduphobia: Hate Speech, Bigotry, and Oppression of Hindus through the Internet, Sachi Edwards Chapter 8: Digital Divide, Diasporic Identity, and a Spiritual Upgrade, Charu Uppal Chapter 9: Digitalizing the Diasporic Subaltern: How Caribbean Hinduism Is Preserved through the Web, Murali Balaji Conclusion: Digital Dilemmas and New Paradigms in Digital Dharma, Murali Balaji

Editorial Reviews

Digital Hinduism: Dharma and Discourse in the Age of New Media, edited by Murali Balaji, offers a fresh look at some of the most pressing issues Hindus face when they take their faith online... This text is an ideal starting point for those interested in how Hinduism and media intersect. It gives real-world examples of how Hindus are presently using the internet to affirm and share their faith. This volume is suitable for readers of all levels, whether they are familiar with the field of digital religion studies or not. Each chapter gives a strong introduction to its topic before delving into more nuanced arguments. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in learning more about the complex relationship between religion and digital technologies.

Journal of Dharma Studies

Hinduism has long been viewed as a timeless religion, but the reality is that it has always been shaped by its historical, cultural, and political context. As Hinduism encounters modernity, its technological landscape has shifted dramatically, thereby transforming the way that Hinduism is conceptualized and consumed across generations and continents. A critical and timely volume, Digital Hinduism is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the future of Hinduism.

Varun Soni

Digital Hinduism helps to legitimize a relatively new conversation in religious studies. Because the subfield of digital religious studies is still being defined and studies on the intersection of new media and religion are burgeoning, particularly within Hindu studies, this collection of essays brings further insight to a fairly new area of study.. .. This collection has many strengths. Almost every essay provides a wealth of information on technology and how accessible that technology may be to various communities. Additionally, many different topics relating to the formation of an online Hindu identity are represented. An effort was clearly made to bring a diversity of voices into the conversation.. . On the whole, this collection provides a wide-ranging survey of digital Hinduism.

Reading Religion

Like any other living and vibrant tradition, Hinduism continues to adapt to changing circumstances and contexts, including the rise of the internet. This important volume–a fine addition to the Explorations in Indic Traditions series–gives a sense of the diverse ways in which Hinduism is present in cyberspace. From advocacy for Hindu rights to the expression of progressive Hindu perspectives to such traditional activities as puja carried out online, this book chronicles the rise of internet Hinduism and does so in a clear and engaging fashion.

Jeffery D. Long

This book is a rich collection of diverse voices that deepen our understanding of Hindu traditions in this fluid era of globalization and digitalization, including, but moving beyond, the Indian subcontinent. Each essay opens a new window to the complex ways in which this global tradition is transforming and being transformed by media. It is a much needed addition to a new field in the study of religion.

Anantanand Rambachan