Ernie: Hmmm. Maybe we need two categories, one for " HINUs" and one for actual practicing Hindus but who have a modern / liberal set of values and outlook. If this was the 19th century, even the early 20th, you could put Brahmo Somaj in this category. But I don't know if Brahmo Somaj still exists, or if it does if it matters. But that's the idea, actual Hindus but who are liberal. Might be different kinds of "liberalism." Arya Somaj was liberal "theologically" but were as nationalist as today's BJP. Integral Yoga ( Aurobindo ) was also liberal in its own way, very ecumenical and open to the West ( Aurobindo "married" a French woman ), but it, too, was nationalist, if not anything like the BJP and its ultra Rightist views. "Was" is incorrect, Still very much alive, and if Auroville is ever completed it will surely become a major tourist draw and act as a source of dissemination of Aurobindo ideas to the world. I'd also keep, in mind the example of some liberal Japanese "new religions" as models for what might be going on in India "under the radar." In ways the equivalent of , On The One Hand , Assemblies of God, or On The Other, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, but independent and mostly youthful. HINUs might be a worthwhile study unto itself. Clearly they are all over the place and probably have a heck of a lot of discretionary income. And maybe they are a conduit for "reverse assimilation," American borrowing of ideas from India but in no way as connected to Hindu orthodoxy. And on and on. Come to think of it, this goes in a dozen different directions. Billy ======================================================= In a message dated 11/15/2009 1:42:53 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Sent from my iPhone On Nov 15, 2009, at 12:37, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) wrote: There may well be a liberal Hinduism " To say the least, I'd be interested in your opinion of what this might consist of, where you see evidence for it, and so forth. I think identification of some kind of viable Liberal Hinduism would be a real service. Maybe first you can define "Hinduism" for me. There are lots of nomina/secularizedl Hindus who are practically indistinguishable from liberal Christians, retaining only the cultural forms. Would that count? _______________________________________________ Centroids mailing list: [email protected] http://radicalcentrism.com/mailman/listinfo/centroids_radicalcentrism.com Archives at http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/
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