Transcending Religious Identity

Authors

  • Vijay Kumar Roy Associate Professor of English, Department of English & Modern European Languages, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj-211002, UP, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58885/ijllis.v13i3.25vj

Keywords:

Religion, transcendence, Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, hypocrisy, divisiveness.

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring the evolution of religion and its relevance in contemporary society. It focuses on the journey of Sanatana Dharma, popularly known as Hinduism: how misbalance in religious and sociocultural life led it to divisive nature, and becoming a victim of hypocrisy and blind faith resulting in repulsion; how it became a strong political tool; how it affects identity of people; and why people prefer to be called humanists instead of being its followers in order to transcend their religious identity. The theories of the origin of religion have been explored along with some religious scriptures and their cultural significance in order to better understand the present relevance of religion.

References

Humanists UK. (n.d.). Humanism. https://humanists.uk/humanism/

Department of Legal Affairs, Government of India. (n.d.). Issues of Social Justice: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes – An Unfinished National Agenda. https://legalaffairs.gov.in/

Walk Free. (2023). Global Slavery Index/Country Study: Modern Slavery in India. https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/india/

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Spirit. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 11, 2024, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirit

Humanists International. (n.d.). The Amsterdam Declaration. https://humanists.international/what-is-humanism/the-amsterdam-declaration/

Basu, D. (2019, January 1). Dominance of Majoritarian Politics and Hate Crimes Against Religious Minorities in India, 2009–2018. UMass Amherst Economics Working Papers, 272, 1-82. https://doi.org/10.7275/15242824

Bose, M. (2005, April 20). Why Can’t a Shudra Perform Asceticism? Shambuka in Three Modern South Indian Plays. The Ramayana Revisited, edited by Mandakranta Bose, Oxford Academic, pp.125-148. https://doi.org/10.1093/0195168321.003.0006

Ellwood, R.S., & Alles, G.D. (Eds.) (2007). The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Revised Edition, Fact on File.

Ghosh, T. (2019, September 24). Indian Magic History Hasn’t Been Fully Explored. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/indian-magic-history-hasnt-been-fully-explored-6022292/

Haekel, J. (2022, September 8). Totemism. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/totemism-religion

Kesteven, S., & Fegan, S. (2018, August 12). How India’s Magic Tricks Shocked and Enchanted the West. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-11/indian-magic-and-how-it-enchanted-the-west/10077740

O’Reilly, D. (2022, March 3). Exploring Religion and Identity Politics. Pew.

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trust/archive/winter-2022/exploring-religion-and-identity-politics-in-india

Ojowuro, A. (2010). The Crisis of Religion. Verity Publishers.

Patnaik, U., & Dingwaney, M. (Eds.). (1985). Chains of Servitude: Bondage and Slavery in India. Sangam Books.

Pattanaik, D. (2003). Indian Mythology. Inner Traditions International.

Sahgal, N., & Research Team. (2021, June 29). Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation. Pew Research Centre.

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/religion-in-india-tolerance-and-segregation/

Shepherd, K.I. (2023, August 15). The Right to Religion and the Shudra Predicament: In Conversation with Articles 15 and 16. The Leaflet. https://theleaflet.in/the-right-to-religion-and-the-shudra-predicament/

Singh, T. D. (2005; 2015). Essays on Science and Religion. The Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Suri, K.C. (1994, Jan.-March). Caste Reservations in India: Policy and Politics. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 55(1), 37-54. JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41855679

Swinburne, R. (2007). The Purpose of Religion. In Faith and Reason. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199283927.003.0005

The Bhagavad Gita. (2000). (Trans. Sri Swami Sivananda). The Divine Life Society. (All translations used in the paper are from this edition.)

The Hindu Bureau. (2024, Updated February 27). 75% of Hate Speech Events. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/75-of-hate-speech-events-in-bjp-ruled-states-report/article67888978.ece.

Tulsidas. (2019). Sri Ramacharitamanasa. Gita Press.

Tulsidas. Hanuman Chalisa. https://www.indiatemple.org/chalisa-hanuman.php?

Tylor, E.B. (1871; 1920). Primitive Culture. Vol. 1. John Murray.

Valimiki. (2063, Saka Samvat). Srimad Valmikia Ramayana. 30th reprint. Gita Press.

van der Walt, J.L., & Potgieter, F.J. (2012). The Origins of Religion as an Historical Conundrum: Pedagogical and Research Methodological Implications and Challenges. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED567071

Wibisono, S., Louis, W. R., & Jetten, J. (2019, November). A Multidimensional Analysis of Religious Extremism. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1-12 (Article 2560). DOI: https://www.doi.org.10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02560

Zubrzycki, J. (2018). Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic. Hurst and Company.

Downloads

Published

2024-08-21 — Updated on 2024-09-16

Versions

How to Cite

Vijay Kumar Roy. (2024). Transcending Religious Identity. ANGLISTICUM. Journal of the Association-Institute for English Language and American Studies, 13(3), 25–31. https://doi.org/10.58885/ijllis.v13i3.25vj (Original work published August 21, 2024)

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2024)

Section

Volume 13, No. 3, August 2024

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Author

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Declaration/Copyright transfer:

1. In consideration of the undertaking set out in paragraph 2, and upon acceptance by ANGLISTICUM for publication of the manuscript in the Journal, I/We hereby assign and transfer publication rights to ANGLISTICUM, whereas I/We retain the copyright for the manuscript. This assignment provides ANGLISTICUM the sole right and responsibility to publish the manuscript in its printed and online version, and/or in other media formats.

2. In consideration of this assignment, ANGLISTICUM hereby undertakes to prepare and publish the manuscript in the Journal, subject only to its right to refuse publication if there is a breach of the Author’s warranty in paragraph 4 or if there are other reasonable grounds.

3. Editors and the editorial board of ANGLISTICUM are empowered to make such editorial changes as may be necessary to make the Manuscript suitable for publication.

4. I/We hereby acknowledge that: (a) The manuscript submitted is an original work and that I/We participated in the work substantively and thus I/We hereby are prepared to take public responsibility for the work; (b) I/We hereby have seen and approved the manuscript as submitted and that the manuscript has not either been published, submitted or considered for publication elsewhere; (c) The text, illustration, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe upon any existing copyright or other rights of anyone.

5. I/We hereby indemnify ANGLISTICUM and the respective Editors of the Journal as mentioned in paragraph 3, and hold them harmless from any loss, expense or damage occasioned by a claim or suit by a third party for copyright infringement, or any suit arising out of any breach of the foregoing warranties as a result of publication of the manuscript.