Vedanta for the West: The Ramakrishna Movement in the United States

by Carl T. Jackson

Overview

"This important book fills a gap in our knowledge. . . . Highly recommended." —Library Journal

" . . . highly recommended . . . " —Choice

"With admirable clarity and remarkable brevity, Jackson surveys the history of the movement and raises . . . important issues . . . " —The Journal of American History

An important history of the Ramakrishna movement, the very first and in many ways the most important Asian religious group to appear in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253330987
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	05/22/1994
Series:	Religion in North America
Pages:	186
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

CARL T. JACKSON is Professor of History and Dean of the college of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Catherine L. Albanese and Stephen J. Stein
Preface

1. The Nineteenth-Century Background
2. The Founders: Ramakrishna and Vivekananda
3. Trials of Survival: The Organization of an American Movement
4. Vedanta for Americans: The Teachings of the Ramakrishna Movement
5. The Appeals of Vedanta
6. The Movement since the 1920s
7. The Ramakrishna Movement in History: Past, Present, and Future

Appendix: Vedanta Centers
Notes
Bibliographical Essay
Index

Illustrations follow page 36

Editorial Reviews

This important book fills a gap in our knowledge. Histories of Vedanta have appeared before, but they have been by devotees; Jackson's work demonstrates the objectivity and thoroughness of a trained historian. He begins with a brief history of the reform movements within Hinduism in the 1800s; explains how Vedanta, a religion related to Hinduism, came to the United States; and then reviews the lives of two primary figures in Vedanta--Ramakrishna and his follower Vivekennanda. Jackson then discusses the organization of the movement, presents the teachings, analyzes the movement since 1920, and muses on its future. An excellent bibliographic essay lists a host of important publications, while an appendix contains a list of Vedanta centers. Highly recommended.-- David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino

Library Journal